Documented Incident

Tennessee communities split on Flock cameras as Sullivan County votes against contract renewal

First reported: September 8, 2026 · 5 sources

Sullivan County commissioners voted not to renew the county's Flock Safety contract, which expires in January, days after Commissioner Joe Carr made incendiary remarks about the company's CEO at a public meeting. Anderson County scheduled a September town hall on its cameras, while Blount and Carter counties continue to partner with Flock and Johnson City operates 145 license plate readers and 145 pan/tilt/zoom cameras under a 10-year contract signed in 2025. Officials in Blount County and Johnson City defended the technology as an investigative tool, while local DeFlock organizers and some residents argue the networked cameras amount to mass surveillance.

Key facts

• The Sullivan County Commission voted not to renew its Flock contract, which expires in January.
• Johnson City reports 145 license plate readers, 145 pan/tilt/zoom cameras, gunshot detectors and two mobile security trailers under a 10-year contract entered in 2025.
• Johnson City Deputy Chief Mike Adams said the cameras capture only vehicle and plate images, and that to his knowledge no department member has misused them.
• The Institute for Justice says it has catalogued more than 100 instances nationally of officers using ALPR technology for non-law-enforcement purposes, including two in Tennessee.
• Adam Heimerman, an independent candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, was arrested on four counts of vandalism for allegedly shooting four Flock cameras; the charges have not been resolved in the article.
• Flock officials did not respond to the Tennessee Lookout's request for comment.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

• Flock cameras divide Tennessee governments, residents over privacy as some end their contracts (Greenevillesun, September 8, 2026)
• Flock cameras divide Tennessee governments, residents over privacy as some end their contracts (Tennessee Lookout, September 8, 2026)
• Flock cameras divide Tennessee governments, residents over privacy as some end their contracts (Dailypostathenian, September 8, 2026)
• Flock cameras divide Tennessee governments , residents over privacy as some end contracts (timesfreepress.com, September 8, 2026)
• Flock cameras divide Tennessee governments, residents over privacy as some end their contracts (newsfromthestates.com, September 8, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated September 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.