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A veteran Milwaukee police detective is now facing criminal charges for the alleged improper and personal use of a powerful automated license plate reader (ALPR) system, marking another troubling breach of surveillance protocol within the department. According to charges filed by prosecutors, 51-year-old Detective Tehranghi Chapman is accused of misusing the Milwaukee Police Department's Flock Safety camera network to conduct a series of unauthorized searches spanning several years.
The case against Chapman centers on the alleged exploitation of the Flock system, a network of fixed and mobile cameras designed to scan and log vehicle license plates in real-time to aid in criminal investigations. Prosecutors detail that over a six-year period from 2019 to 2025, Chapman is accused of performing a total of 20 illegal searches. The most serious allegation involves the purported placement of a GPS tracking device on an individual's personal vehicle, followed by using the Flock system to monitor that vehicle's movements 17 separate times. In a separate instance, he is accused of using the FLOCK database to search for a different person's license plate three times in a single day in January of last year.
This misconduct came to light not through internal audits, but as a collateral discovery during an unrelated internal affairs investigation. The probe was initially focused on former MPD Officer Josue Ayala, who pleaded guilty last month to misusing the same Flock system to stalk an ex-girlfriend. The connection between the two cases underscores a potential pattern of inadequate safeguards and oversight within the department's use of surveillance technology. When confronted, Detective Chapman reportedly claimed his searches were for "training" purposes, an explanation investigators found inconsistent with the nature and targets of the queries.
Detective Chapman, who has served with the Milwaukee Police Department for over 22 years, was placed on full suspension on March 13, 2026, pending the outcome of the criminal and internal proceedings. His lengthy tenure raises immediate questions about the duration of the alleged actions and the effectiveness of existing supervisory controls. The criminal charge of misconduct in public office is a felony in Wisconsin, carrying potential penalties including fines and imprisonment, reflecting the gravity of abusing official power and access to sensitive data.
The Chapman case is the latest in a growing national scrutiny of police use of ALPR systems like Flock Safety. These systems, deployed in thousands of communities, create vast databases of citizens' movements, often with minimal public debate and varying levels of data retention and access policies. Privacy advocates have long warned that without strict usage logs, regular audits, and clear penalties for abuse, the technology is ripe for misuse, from personal voyeurism to tracking political opponents or journalists.
In response to the charges, a Milwaukee Police Department spokesperson stated that the department holds all officers to the highest standards of conduct and takes any allegation of technology misuse seriously. They emphasized that the department has cooperated fully with the district attorney's office. However, the incident will likely fuel ongoing debates in Milwaukee and other cities about enacting stronger ordinances to govern surveillance technology, including mandatory public reporting on usage statistics and independent oversight boards to review access logs.
This report is based on charging documents and official statements. The allegations against Detective Chapman represent charges at this time, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
