Lawyer, commissioner explain why Knox Co. Commission decided to remove all Flock cameras

Our Take

A unanimous vote to remove Flock cameras doesn't happen because everything is fine. WATE's Ask Isaacs segment has Commissioner Shane Jackson and attorney Greg Isaacs walking through the concerns that got Knox County, Tennessee to pull the plug: the potential for police misuse and the data privacy risks that come with a private company vacuuming up everyone's travel patterns, retaining it, and sharing it well beyond what most residents assume. Credit to WATE for getting a local official on record explaining the reasoning, not just reporting the vote.

This is the pattern we keep seeing nationwide: a county or city commission approves ALPRs with minimal debate, then later finds out how the data is actually used, who can query it, and how little oversight exists once the cameras go up. Knox County deserves credit for actually reversing course instead of just promising 'tighter policies' and moving on. That's rare, and it shows elected bodies can act once they understand what they signed up for.

If you're in a community still deciding whether to let Flock in, or wondering if cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map to see what's been documented near you, and use our take-action resources to push your own commissioners toward the same kind of scrutiny Knox County just applied.