Knox County, TN

Knox County Commission unanimously passed an emergency ordinance August 31, 2026 banning fixed license plate readers and requiring the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to remove about 143 Flock cameras by September 16. Coverage said KCSO bought cameras in batches just under the $25,000 mayoral-review threshold, spent $800,000 on a year-one order framed as year one of ten, and lacked a public use policy. Mayor Glenn Jacobs said he does not believe the county has a valid Flock agreement. The ordinance also bans surveillance centers and future county ALPR purchases on county rights-of-way. On September 10, 2026, Knox News reported Mayor Betsy Henderson said Flock will not remove the cameras until October 7 and that the county will cover mounted units with “personal privacy shields” until takedown.