Knox County commissioners on Monday voted unanimously to turn off and remove automatic license plate reader cameras that are in use in dozens of locations.
Under the ordinance, stationary ALPRs must be removed within 30 days along with their data– unless it’s involved in a criminal investigation. Agreements with companies that provide the equipment are also prohibited.
The vote comes amid a sweeping national trend — bipartisan in many areas — of rapidly escalating concerns about surveillance, eroding privacy, and misuse of such cameras by law enforcement. Cities across the country have canceled their contracts or deactivated their ALPR cameras amid the backlash, and approximately 100 people packed the meeting room, carrying signs opposing the cameras.
Lauren Krahwinkel carried a sign at the back of the room that read “DeFlock Knox.”
“I do not want to live in a future governed by mass surveillance,” she said. “I see these flock cameras and the other AI surveillance cameras that have been popping up all over the country as a threat to our fundamental liberties as Americans.”
Discussions between commissioners over the ordinance mainly swirled around whether the county’s sheriff’s office has an active service agreement with Flock Safety, something that could not be confirmed.
Lawmakers at the state and federal levels are taking action too.
At a meeting hosted by Americans for Prosperity on Aug. 19, Republican state Rep. Jason Zachary of Knoxville said he is working up legislation to place stricter requirements on automatic license plate readers and surveillance cameras.
Zachary said the draft is aimed at ensuring only certified law enforcement personnel have access to that data, with strict penalties for those who abuse it.
“There are so many agencies that have no tight policy and procedures. Some have no policy and procedures,” he said. “What is being done with that data?”
On the federal level, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett filed a bill to prevent federal agencies from purchasing or using surveillance systems. The proposal also considers blocking federal funding for the equipment at the local level.
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