Racine's proposed budget for 2027 would remove $75,000 set aside for Flock plate-reader cameras, while city police look at whether to use a different system.
The proposal follows a Sept. 15 Common Council vote to end the city's Flock Safety contract after a 30-day wind-down. That vote ended the current contract and did not, on its own, approve buying a replacement.
Police Chief Alex Ramirez told the council during budget review that officers were ready to discuss a different automated plate-reader option. He did not name a vendor or a price in his Oct. 12 presentation, and he has said choosing and installing a new system could take six to nine months.
Not every related system would lose funding. The proposed capital plan still includes $80,000 in 2027 for Raven shot detection, which the department plans to keep.
Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson said losing the camera network would leave investigators with fewer vehicle leads. Police had reported 37 Flock cameras in use, with records kept for 30 days, and the county sheriff had already ordered his office's Flock cameras removed on Sept. 4.
A public hearing on the budget was set for Oct. 14, with amendment talks on Oct. 19 and a final adoption vote on Oct. 20. Those votes will settle the funding, but they do not by themselves pick a replacement system or set its cost.
