Statement on Flock Safety Program

Published on October 23, 2026

Since launching the Flock Safety program, the La Crosse Police Department has maintained an ongoing assessment of the program. We have now taken steps to end the contract with Flock Safety. The decision follows extensive review and discussions but ultimately was made in order to uphold the department's high standards of integrity, professionalism and ethical responsibility. The department has worked diligently to utilize this technology strictly within a framework of rigorous internal policies. The Flock system has served as a valuable resource, assisting officers in successfully solving serious crimes within the city, including an attempted homicide in June 2026. 

However, despite the tool's effectiveness locally, department leadership continues to express a growing concern regarding the lack of robust policies and guardrails across other agencies that share access to the broader network. Without consistent, stringent accountability measures nationwide, the La Crosse Police Department has determined that continuing the partnership poses an unacceptable risk to our core values.

"This decision was not taken lightly," said City of La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. "Flock has been a highly effective investigative tool for our staff, and I want to emphasize that the hard work, integrity, and commitment of our team in strictly upholding our department policies have not gone unnoticed. However, our commitment to public trust must extend beyond our own agency. We cannot, in good conscience, participate in a network where the same robust accountability and oversight are not guaranteed everywhere, and we must uphold the high standards our community expects of us every day."

“As Mayor, I fully support Chief Kudron and our police department in making this difficult but necessary decision,” said City of La Crosse Mayor, Shaundel Washington-Spivey. “We cannot compromise on accountability and oversight. I want to state my full backing of our police department’s internal policies, core values, and assessment of this technology. While these higher standards of accountability may not be required everywhere in the nation, they are vital to how we operate in La Crosse. We will continue to support our police department with resources and tools that uphold both public safety and the high ethical standards our residents deserve.”