Knox County mayor halts $1 million Flock camera rollout over privacy concerns

Glenn Jacobs, mayor of Knox County, Tennessee and ex-WWE star, announced a suspension of the county sheriff’s $1 million contract to install 270 Flock Safety cameras. Jacobs argued that the AI-enabled devices, which can identify vehicles and monitor daily movements, violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches. He noted that the pause will remain until the current sheriff and mayor are replaced next month.

Recent incidents, including the arrest of 18 Georgia officers for abusing Flock data, reinforced his concerns. Flock Safety, based in Atlanta, now serves over 5,000 law-enforcement agencies with nearly 90,000 cameras across the United States. In response to growing criticism, lawmakers such as Rep. Thomas Massie have introduced bills to cut federal funds for jurisdictions that adopt the technology. A spokesperson for Flock did not immediately respond to requests for comment.