Tennessee Commissioner Calls for Flock CEO's Execution During Privacy Debate

<p>A Tennessee county commissioner made headlines after stating at a public meeting that the CEO of Flock Safety should be hanged for treason. This remark occurred during a discussion about the company's surveillance technology, which has faced significant public backlash regarding privacy concerns.</p><p>Commissioner Joe Carr expressed his views on August 13, saying, "I believe that Flock right now is one of the most hated companies in America. They are one of the most corrupt companies in America." He further stated, "Quite frankly, sir, I don't think we can make America great again without hanging your CEO publicly for treason. Your company is an enemy of the American people."</p><p>The commission meeting leader interrupted Carr's comments, reminding him that threats of violence were not acceptable. Carr later clarified his remarks, stating, "I didn't call for lynchings, I called for due process. You want to try the guy first, and I don't support political random killings. I definitely don't. But at the same time, you know, the American people are angry. I felt, and I think a lot of them felt, that no elected official was really going hard enough on this. And so I wanted to be the guy to do that."</p><p>Carr's comments come as Flock's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have drawn national scrutiny over issues of government surveillance and data privacy. Approximately 100 municipalities have canceled or deactivated their contracts with Flock due to these concerns.</p><p>Following Carr's remarks, Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy suspended the use of all 10 Flock ALPRs in the county, citing "legitimate concerns" regarding privacy and oversight. He requested that the Sullivan County Commission consider placing a referendum on the next local ballot to allow voters to decide on the future of the technology.</p><p>Carr emphasized that while the cameras have reportedly aided in crime-fighting, their potential risks outweigh the benefits. He stated, "If you use this inappropriately or if it gets hacked and it's a national security risk by a foreign actor, it could very quickly snowball and become something that outweighs all of the positives that have incurred up to that point."</p><p>Flock Safety claims that their cameras do not record continuously and do not use facial recognition technology. However, incidents of misuse by law enforcement have raised concerns among the public, leading to vandalism of Flock cameras in at least 36 states.</p><p>Political leaders from both parties have voiced opposition to Flock's technology. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently paused state funding for Flock cameras, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned against the expansion of a