Congressional candidate arrested for shooting Flock cameras as privacy backlash continues
It's all gone a bit Orwellian out there, and while the infamous Nineteen Eighty-Four already warned us that Big Brother is always watching, that hits home harder in 2026.
The average American adult is apparently caught on surveillance and security cameras about 34 times a day, with the majority of these being while driving.
Still, at a time when people are more cautious than ever about how AI is potentially being used to watch us, a network of AI-powered surveillance cameras is causing a stir.
For those who haven't heard, there's an increasing backlash to Flock Safety cameras and concerns about its Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) software.
Advert
Since Flock Safety launched in 2017, the ACLU has estimated that 100,000 of these ALPR readers have been installed across the USA, but with this, there's been uproar.
With continued reports of privacy abuse, one recent story involved cameras in the Long Island East End town of Southold being vandalized after it was claimed a cop used Flock cameras to track her lover.
Even former WWE wrestler Kane is wading into the argument. Real name Glenn Jacobs, Kane is the current Knox County Mayor and hit pause on the local sheriff’s plans to install 270 Flock cameras. Jacobs argues that the AI-centric tech violates our Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
Things have escalated to one congressional candidate being arrested after he admitted to shooting down four Flock cameras.
As reported by WBIR Channel 10, 37-year-old Adam Lee Heimerman admitted to the incidents that took place across Blount County and Maryville between July 14 and July 22, 2026.
At least one Flock Safety-branded unit was damaged, but most concerningly, one camera was accessed via a church property while worship services were underway.
Heimerman is listed on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website as an independent candidate who is challenging Republican incumbent Tim Burchett in Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District.
Ironically, Burchett himself wants to ban Flock Safety cameras through legislation, whereas Heimerman took a different route.
Hitting the streets of Blount County, WBIR Channel 10 noted that the majority of residents are against the use of ALPR cameras. This comes despite the sheriff's office saying they're crucial in helping solve crime.
One local mused: "It's saying that like Big Brother's always watching because if you look at these cameras, that's kind of disconcerting to look at at first.
“Like I've not necessarily noticed them before now, but that's disconcerting to look at. That's like, what is that for? Why is this camera pointing at me?"
Another said that while he hadn't noticed one Flock camera despite working in a building opposite, having it pointed out made him feel 'uncomfortable'.
Still, they agreed that damaging them isn't the way forward.
A letter from Blount County Chief Deputy Jeff French maintained that law enforcement used the cameras to find stolen cars, flag wanted suspects, and find license plates that are tied to silver or amber alerts, with data not tied to an active investigation being deleted after 30 days.
Posting on X, Burchett clapped back against Flock and said: "Hopefully we'll get some movement out of this. Call your legislators. Tell them we need it. We've got to ban these goddamn things."
Burchett has plans to submit a bill that would effectively ban tax dollars from being used on automated surveillance technology, also extending beyond Flock to facial recognition software and more.
As for Heimerman, he's being held at the Blount County Correctional Facility on a $40,000 bond, facing four felony vandalism counts ahead of an August 5 court appearance. This is notably the day before Election Day.