JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) – On Monday, the Washington County, Tennessee Commission approved a resolution allowing eight new Flock Safety Security cameras to be installed along certain highways.

Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton said these cameras are beneficial in solving crimes like theft, kidnapping and much more.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) already has four Flock cameras.

“My understanding is the medical center (Johnson City Medical Center) has them,” Sexton said. “I know that the community of The Ridges now have them.”

“We do have two that are mobile. It’s similar to the radar carts that you see out that shows the speed.”

Sexton said these cameras have helped them find tag numbers of those involved in auto burglaries.

The cameras not only read license plates but also show real-time video. Flock allows users to have access to their security footage nationwide.

“So let’s say you had a kidnapping and you can pull up the Flock camera and you had information that said that this person went from Tennessee to North Carolina,” Sexton said. “You can pull up the Flock system and see where those cameras [are] at and check them out to see if maybe that person used that route.”

These new Flock cameras will only be installed along public highways at the following locations:

• Bobby Hicks Highway at Highway 36 southbound
• Highway 93 at Walnut Lane southbound
• Kingsport Highway at Bobby Hicks Highway eastbound
• Highway 67 at Loan Oak Road southbound
• Jonesborough Road at West Walnut westbound
• Gray Station Sulphur Springs at Highway 81 northbound
• Erwin Highway at Pleasant Hill Road northbound
• Highway 321 at Clear Springs eastbound

Sexton said they will not be anywhere that could impact anyone’s privacy.

“You have to actually have to apply for a permit for it to be on a telephone pole through the state or I should say a power pole,” Sexton said.

“It’s out in the public or a security camera on a building might pick your car up driving down the road. So it’s not done in the interest of spying on people. It’s in the interest of providing another tool for law enforcement in investigating crime.”

The resolution passed with 14 commissioners that were present voting yes, one was absent.

Sexton said he appreciates the commissioners for choosing to invest in public safety.

“You can build the biggest school that you want, you can build a better road, whatever building it might be, but if you don’t have public safety there, you don’t have people there to take care of it and have a good, safe environment, you’re at loss,” Sexton said.

Other surrounding law enforcement agencies, like the Kingsport Police Department also use Flock Safety cameras.

Sexton said WCSO would love to have more of these cameras to help collaborate with other agencies.