Knoxville Police Department wants to pay officers more as many leave for other jobs

Allie Feinberg, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read

The Knoxville Police Department wants to pay more to keep police officers from leaving for better-paying jobs with neighboring law enforcement agencies, and to mitigate the number of retirements coming in the next few years.

Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel said officers can make more money working for the Knox County Sheriff's Office, highway patrol, the University of Tennessee Police Department or Y-12 National Security Complex security.

That's prompting officers to leave KPD. In 2023, 49 officers left the department.

"We know a meaningful portion of the officers who left in 2023 transitioned to either security jobs at Y-12 or other area law enforcement agencies that offer higher pay," spokesperson Scott Erland told Knox News in a text.

As part of the annual budgeting process, KPD is also asking the city to pay for a new police accountability role. The city's proposed budget will be announced April 26.

How much Knoxville police would make

KPD patrol officers now make $46,424 to start.

Erland told Knox News the department wants to increase starting annual pay to just over $56,000. Recruits in the academy would start at just over $51,000.

KPD would need the full $2.9 million it's asking for to reach that starting pay level, but Erland said it's not a guarantee because the city might not grant the agency the full amount.

Pay increases would apply to officers in nonsupervisory positions. The $2.9 million request does not include money to cover benefits for new hires, but Erland declined to comment on how much those benefits would cost.

What officers make at Knox County Sheriff's Office, University of Tennessee

As of June 2023, Knox County Sheriff's Office patrol deputies made $51,100 to start. A trooper cadet entering the Tennessee Highway Patrol can make at least $65,004 per year, and the starting pay for University of Tennessee Police Department patrol officers is $51,001. Y-12 would not share its starting pay for security officers.

KPD falling behind its competition couldn't come at a worse time.

On top of that, Noel said more than 90 KPD employees are eligible for retirement as of March 6. By 2027, that number will surpass 130. Those roles will need to be filled.

David Brace, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's chief of staff, said increasing pay is necessary to stay competitive.

"This is true market need adjustment ... this is based on data," Brace said. "The demand right now is (high). If you want to be a police officer, (you can go anywhere)."

Noel said recruitment efforts are reaching more people than ever, yet hiring has declined.

"It's not because we're doing anything wrong," Noel said. "It's because they have so many different options out there. If you want to be a police officer in East Tennessee, you can get hired at any agency."

Noel said he's prioritizing higher starting pay over signing bonuses because it sets officers up to make more in the long run "as opposed to an up-front gimmick to get someone to sign on."

KPD accountability job would review body cam footage

Noel is asking the city to pay for a $49,000 civilian compliance specialist to review and monitor use of force and body camera footage. It's an accountability role many midsize departments are creating, he said.

"(It's going to be) a checks-and-balances system. This is the person that's going to be checking the checkers," he said. " This is a person that's starting to look at all uses of force. This role will pay for itself long-term 10 times over."

KPD is working with consultants to choose software for this new full-time role.

"This is what big cities use ... this is going to help us catch small issues before they fester and become big issues," Noel said.

When will Knoxville's budget be finalized?

Here's the process for Knoxville's city budget to be finalized in the next few months:

  • 6 p.m. April 30 at the City County Building: Knoxville City Council's first reading of the proposed budget and tax ordinances

  • May 16: Legislative budget hearing and public hearing

  • Sometime in May: Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission hearing on capital improvement projects

  • 6 p.m. May 28 at the City County Building: Knoxville City Council second reading of proposed budget and tax ordinances. This meeting could be moved to May 30.

  • June 15: Last day to approve the budget and tax ordinances

  • July 1: New fiscal year begins

The Knoxville City Council will take up the budget after the April 26 State of the City, and Knoxville residents will be able to speak at the public comment portion of the April 30 council meeting by contacting the city recorders office or signing up in person before the meeting begins.

The final deadline for budget approval is June 15, and the new fiscal year starts July 1. Meetings with city departments such as KPD, Knoxville Area Transit and public service are just the beginning of the process, but they're a vital step.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville police department wants to pay officers more