141 Flock cameras removed in Knox County; final two remain covered as leaders phase out ALPRs

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Nearly all of Knox County’s Flock license plate reader cameras have been removed as county leaders continue phasing out the controversial technology.

Knox County Mayor Betsy Henderson said Wednesday that 141 of the county’s 143 Flock cameras have been physically removed. The final two remain on utility poles but have been covered for weeks and are no longer tracking vehicles.

“The cameras are gone or covered, and Knox County residents are not being tracked,” Henderson said in a statement.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed Wednesday that it no longer has access to the fixed Flock license plate reader system.

The removal follows action by the Knox County Commission over concerns about privacy, oversight, and how information collected by the cameras could be accessed and stored.

KCSO said the technology had been used as an investigative tool in cases involving stolen vehicles, wanted people and missing or endangered individuals. Without the fixed readers, the sheriff’s office said some investigations could now take longer. Deputies may have to rely more heavily on traditional methods such as interviewing witnesses, canvassing neighborhoods and asking residents or businesses for surveillance video.“Technology does not replace good police work, but it can make good police work considerably more efficient and faster,” KCSO said in a statement.

Knox County Commissioner Justin Cofer said he believes the final two cameras should still be physically removed.

“They should be gone,” Cofer said.Cofer said his larger concern is balancing public safety with residents’ privacy.“Public safety and protecting citizens’ privacy are not mutually exclusive,” Cofer said. “When governments use technology that’s able to track vehicles and collect data on law-abiding citizens, there must be clear limits.”

Knox County resident Jeff Lloyd said he understands the privacy concerns but believes cameras can also provide a public-safety benefit.

“I think generally, having cameras around improves public safety and can catch a lot of bad guys,” Lloyd said. “I think there’s a chance that they get abused sometimes, but on the whole, I’m probably for the cameras.”

Lloyd said he could support similar technology in the future if clear rules were established for how it could be used and if the public had more information about its impact on crime.KCSO said it would also be open to using license plate reader technology again in the future if the County Commission allowed it under new rules. The sheriff’s office said any future system should include clear policies, safeguards, oversight and accountability.

Cofer said he still has questions about information that was collected before access to the system ended.

“I would only consider it completely resolved when we can find zero cameras, and there are no reports out and all data has been destroyed,” Cofer said.

The county says the final two cameras will be removed soon.