Privacy concerns dominated public comment at the Crossville City Council meeting on October 13, 2026, as multiple residents urged the board to end its contract with Flock Safety for license-plate reader cameras. A motion to cancel the agreement and remove the seven cameras later failed for lack of a second.

After suspending the usual 15-minute limit on public comment, the council heard from several speakers focused on the Flock system. Alan Sizemore cited internal records showing a 2024 data incident in which usernames, emails, and other information were inadvertently shared, along with monthly snapshots indicating the city shares data with nearly 2,000 organizations nationwide, including state and federal networks. He also referenced reports of Flock laying off staff.

Roger Romero and Nate Wager, a local business owner, argued the cameras erode small-town privacy and freedoms. Wager warned that even limited license-plate scanning creates a foothold for expanded AI-driven surveillance and said residents should decide for themselves rather than accept technology imposed without choice. Howard Burnett compared the warrantless tracking of movements—including those of the mayor and council—to historical violations of due process, noting data is processed out of state, and suggested redirecting the funds as Christmas bonuses for police officers instead. Monique Romero, who said she moved from California seeking greater freedom, described continuous surveillance as incompatible with the values that drew her family to Tennessee.

Other speakers addressed different topics, but the Flock cameras drew the bulk of opposition.

Later in the meeting under “other business,” Mayor RJ Crawford moved to cancel the existing Flock contract and remove all seven cameras, stating the system generates “unnecessary noise” amid otherwise positive city progress and that “the juice is not worth the squeeze.” The motion received no second and failed. No further action or discussion followed.

The system remains in place following the failed motion.