Overview
- A Milwaukee County judge on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 sentenced former MPD officer Josue Ayala to 12 months of probation and ordered a $500 fine after he pleaded guilty to attempted misconduct in public office.
- Prosecutors said Ayala improperly ran nearly 180 searches of the department’s Flock license-plate reader system while on duty to look up an ex‑partner and that person’s former partner.
- The misuse was uncovered after a victim checked their plate on the public site Have I Been Flocked, which led to an internal review and a criminal probe that began as a felony case and was negotiated down to a misdemeanor plea.
- As part of the plea Ayala resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department, the judge issued no‑contact orders for the two victims, and a restitution hearing was scheduled.
- Milwaukee police have strengthened Flock auditing, require officers to reapply and acknowledge use policies, and the case highlights wider privacy concerns about automated license‑plate readers and the need to monitor access closely.