Knox County Mayor Declares Flock Safety Contract Invalid, Halts Camera Program
Mayor Glenn Jacobs told Flock Safety that the county-sheriff agreement for over 140 AI-powered cameras is not legally binding, and the county will not renew it.
Glenn Jacobs, mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, sent a formal notice to Flock Safety’s regional sales director Alex Guth asserting that the 2020 contract with the county sheriff is invalid because expenditures surpass the $100,000 limit that mandates County Commission endorsement. The letter, cites $274,720 in equipment and services plus an $800,000 Omnia purchase, exceeding the required threshold. Jacobs declared that no current service agreement exists and that the county will not renew the contract.
He later clarified on social media that the cameras use AI to create a “vehicular fingerprint,” capturing make, model, colour, and distinctive features of every passing car, a function he says differs from passive license-plate readers. Privacy advocates have criticized the system, especially after firearms dealers such as Gun Commanders in Cleveland, Georgia, and Eagle Sports Range in Cudahy, Wisconsin, removed the devices following public backlash.
Why it matters
The decision could affect how local governments deploy AI surveillance and set precedents for contract oversight.
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