Dear John,
I made a lot of promises on the campaign trail in 2019, and I am so proud of our progress towards fulfilling them. This is the first in a series of emails about promises made, promises kept, and my pledge to continue the work in a second term.
I want to start with police accountability. Public safety is job #1. Knoxvillians deserve a well-trained, responsive, respectful, and effective police department. We need officers who understand the huge responsibility that comes with the badge, officers who embrace their role as peacekeepers, and officers who work every day to earn the trust of the community.
In 2019 I promised to equip all KPD officers with body-worn cameras. I kept that promise. Today all officers have body-worn cameras, and we have adopted best-practices and training on how they are to be used. These cameras are an important tool to increase transparency, safety, and accountability, in policing.
This year, KPD will become the first department in the state of Tennessee to join the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project. This initiative cultivates a police culture in which officers routinely intervene—and accept – peer interventions as necessary to prevent misconduct, avoid police mistakes, and promote officer health and wellness.
Last Friday I announced that Brooklyn Sawyers Belk has been chosen as the first Deputy Chief of Professional Standards in KPD. As a University of Tennessee law professor and former federal prosecutor, she brings extensive criminal justice and legal background to this crucial role. Her primary responsibility will be to ensure that KPD’s policies, procedures and training are consistent with nationwide best practices.
