12/05/2025

BAYFIELD COUNTY - Bayfield County faces a privacy dispute that has become more common across the country. TheDailyPress reports at the center of the issue is Bayfield’s use of five (with one pending) Flock Safety automated license plate readers (ALPRs), installed since 2022 at an annual cost of $3,000 each. The cameras store license plate and vehicle data for 30 days in a national database accessible to subscribing law enforcement, including the FBI and ICE. Sheriff Tony Williams defends the technology as constitutional and vital for locating stolen vehicles and missing or endangered persons. Critics cite privacy, transparency, and potential government overreach, with one judge noting “serious privacy implications.” Records show improper official use, with over 400 thousand searches in July, with Bayfield County officials performing about 490 of those searches. Residents recently complained about the lack of public input regarding the cameras’ privacy implications.