JEFFERSON, Wis. — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is suspending its use of Flock license-plate cameras after Sheriff Travis Maze said investigative data was made public without the agency’s authorization. Maze said the department expanded its Flock system in 2025 after being told by the company that its data would not be released without the sheriff’s office’s approval. He said he learned this week that information connected to cases under investigation in 2025 had been disclosed without the department’s consent. “When we expanded our system in 2025 I was told, by Flock specifically, that our data would not be released without our permission. That is not the case,” Maze said in a message to the community. “Cases that we were investigating in 2025 have been made public without our consent. I feel that we were lied to.” Maze said Flock had not yet explained how the data was released. He said the suspension is not based on evidence that department employees misused the system. “I have no evidence of any wrongdoing by any of our staff with the way that we utilized Flock,” Maze said. “This suspension is based purely on them telling us one thing about how our data would be accessed, and then having the exact opposite happen.” Flock cameras capture images of vehicles and license plates, allowing law enforcement agencies to search for vehicles associated with investigations. The technology has drawn scrutiny from privacy advocates and local officials because of questions about data retention, sharing and access across agency networks. Maze said he believes the cameras can be useful, but is prioritizing residents’ trust over the information the system could provide. Jefferson County is the latest Wisconsin law enforcement agency identified as ending or pausing its Flock program. The Menasha Police Department covered its cameras the previous week, while the Dane County Sheriff’s Office did so in June. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s suspension will remain in place while Maze seeks answers from Flock about the disclosure and the company’s handling of law-enforcement data.