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Residents urge Blount County to remove Flock license‑plate cameras, cite privacy and misuse risks
Summary
During public input July 16, multiple residents urged the commission to remove or limit the county’s Flock ALPR cameras and to decline expansion to drones, citing privacy, past misuse by officers in nearby jurisdictions, subscription costs, and lack of public authorization.
Dozens of residents used the public comment period on July 16 to call on the Blount County Commission to remove the county’s Flock license‑plate reader (ALPR) cameras and to halt any expansion plans, including proposals for drones.
Kyle Skeen, a naval intelligence veteran, told commissioners that Flock’s system creates a searchable database of vehicle movements and that the product is run by a private company on taxpayer‑owned infrastructure: “They scan every license plate, record where your vehicle was and when, and store that information in a searchable database shared far beyond this county,” he said, urging the board to “remove the system.” Skeen and other speakers referenced a recent local prosecution in which an Oak Ridge officer pleaded guilty to misconduct involving the Flock network and said audit controls did not prevent misuse.
Other speakers described technical, safety and financial concerns. A resident who builds and flies drones warned of collision risks if drones were used for surveillance; another said that subscription costs and potential expansion would lock the county into ongoing fees. Several commenters urged the commission to schedule a public agenda item for full discussion and a vote rather than treating the matter only as public comment.
Commissioners did not vote on the matter during the meeting; several residents asked for a future agenda item, more transparency about access and auditing controls, and an accounting of taxpayer costs. The public remarks reflect growing local scrutiny of license‑plate readers and private surveillance partnerships in other jurisdictions.
What happened next: speakers requested the sheriff and county administration provide details on current Flock contracts, access logs, policies governing use, and any planned expansions. Several residents said they will return to future meetings until the commission places the issue on a formal agenda.
