KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT)— Knox County commissioners are set to take a closer look at the Sheriff’s Office’s growing network of automated license plate reader cameras after residents raised questions about privacy, transparency and the use of grant funding for the program.
Commissioner Adam Thompson brought the issue before the Knox County Commission agenda review meeting Monday, saying he has received numerous calls, emails and in-person questions from residents who either did not know about the program or were confused about its scope.
“I’ve received multiple emails and phone calls, and had face-to-face conversations with residents who are confused, unaware, ill-informed,” Thompson said.
At the center of the discussion is a grant exceeding $1.5 million that funded the Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s Advanced Research and Communications Center, or ARCC. According to county officials, the center serves as a hub for public safety technology, including video from Flock license plate reader cameras and drone operations.
Thompson argued that when commissioners approved the funding, the proposal did not clearly indicate the center would support a countywide camera network.
“You read the resolution and it mentioned nothing about cameras. It mentioned nothing about surveillance. It mentioned nothing about this,” Thompson said. “We didn’t hear anything about it from November until June.”
According to KCSO Procurement Director Hugh Holt, the department plans to deploy cameras at approximately 270 locations throughout Knox County.
The expansion has sparked mixed reactions among residents.
Patrick Tresnan, who lives near one of the cameras, said a device was installed near his home about 18 months ago. He said the technology makes him uneasy and raises concerns about government surveillance.
“Very much the big brother feeling,” Tresnan said. “That they’re tracking anything and everything we do nowadays.”
Tresnan said he believes the cameras infringe on personal privacy.
“The simple fact that I have the right to my own privacy and I have someone else that I don’t know, wherever they are, constantly watching everything I do, say, come and go, whoever I see, talk to. It’s just, to me, it’s a complete invasion of privacy,” he said.
Other residents support the use of the cameras and say they can help law enforcement solve crimes and improve public safety.
New mother Qurstin Massengill said the technology provides an added sense of security.
“As a new mom, I think there’s always that fear that something’s going to happen,” Massengill said. “You see more and more every day of kidnappings and sex trafficking and stuff like that.”
County commissioners are expected to hear additional information about the program during a special meeting scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on July 27. Representatives from both the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Flock Safety are expected to attend and answer questions about how the cameras are used, what data is collected and what safeguards are in place to protect privacy.
The meeting comes as county leaders weigh public concerns against law enforcement’s argument that the technology can help investigate crimes and locate suspects using vehicle information captured by the camera network.
