GREENFIELD, Wis. — A City of Greenfield police chief is facing a felony misconduct charge after allegedly ordering a department-owned surveillance camera installed outside his personal home during his divorce, a move the ACLU of Wisconsin says illustrates a broader pattern of police abusing high-powered surveillance tools for personal reasons.
According to a report by the ACLU of Wisconsin, City of Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson allegedly directed the installation of the public-owned camera despite clear instructions from the Greenfield city attorney that he could not use city equipment for “personal surveillance.”
After hearing the legal advice, the ACLU reports that Chief Johnson allegedly not only ignored it but told an employee to keep the installation “low key” and “discreet.” Chief Johnson is accused of stealing public goods for personal reasons “off-book” and without “public notice, oversight.”
The ACLU of Wisconsin criticized what it described as a mindset of negligence and a “pattern of misuse.” The report argues that if hundreds or thousands of officers misused public-owned surveillance cameras for personal purposes, the consequences could be monumental.
According to the ACLU of Wisconsin, in addition to Chief Johnson, several other police officers, especially those in leadership positions, have abused their official positions to misuse surveillance tools for personal reasons.
In January 2024, Chief Lee Nygaard, former police chief of Sedgwick, Kansas, used “Flock automatic license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras” on his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle a total of 228 times over more than four months. Former Chief Nygaard even allegedly used his police car to track his ex-girlfriend and her current partner, the ACLU reports.
Former Lt. Ryan Terrell, of North Charleston, South Carolina, admitted to using public-owned surveillance cameras to monitor his wife, whom he “suspected of having an affair.” The ACLU of Wisconsin noted that Terrell was demoted, not fired.
Chief Michael Steffman, former police chief of Braselton, Georgia, was arrested for allegedly using the ALPR system to “stalk and harass” multiple private citizens who were not being investigated for crimes.
The report identifies a pattern of law enforcement being “untransparent and unaccountable” for their use of surveillance tools and technology. As the ACLU of Wisconsin noted, the victims of these police misconduct cases are often women with whom the officers had romantic involvement. The ACLU of Wisconsin also pointed out that police officers are more likely to commit domestic violence, violence against sex workers, and especially violence against gender-fluid and transgender sex workers.
The ACLU of Wisconsin voiced concern over the state’s Flock surveillance system, which scans and stores countless license plate data daily. From January to June 2025, the police department of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, conducted nearly 1,900 ALPR searches for merely “investigation” purposes. The ACLU of Wisconsin argued that much more description is necessary.
In response to vague and unclear search requests, the ACLU of Wisconsin called for strengthening oversight, including annual public reporting of surveillance tool use, notice to attorneys whenever surveillance tools are used, and written policy guidelines on the use of surveillance. In conclusion, the ACLU of Wisconsin acknowledged the vast power of surveillance tools and argued that oversight is necessary to prevent further abuse of power.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
