Seldom do you see them or come across them. They do not patrol. They do not investigate accidents or murders. They do not ride motorcycles (at least at work). But like pillars under a bridge, they support much of what happens behind the scenes at the Knoxville Police Department (KPD).

Annually, KPD honors civilian employees and this year six have been selected as the department’s 2024 Employees of the Year.

As the KPD Facebook page post read: “A big congratulations to the six professional staff members of our department. … We appreciate the work they do on a daily basis to help us accomplish our mission and make our department better.”

Here are the six honorees:

  • Brooke Bright is the agency’s personnel director and has been with KPD since July 2023. She previously worked in human resources for the city of Knoxville.
  • Neil Stiles has worked for KPD since April 2023 and is an audio video technician. He previously worked at WVLT-TV.
  • Marci Ware is the administrative assistant for training and in her 18th year at KPD. In addition to her many duties with the training unit, Marci also helps lead KPD’s Child Safety Seat checkpoints. And by the way, the next Checkpoint is this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 12 (see the graphic below for the information you need).
  • Emily White has been with KPD in her role as an administrative assistant for the Office of Professional Standards since January 2023. Police work runs in her family. Her father, Don White, is chief of the Lenoir City Police Department.
  • Christine Mullan has been at KPD for 18 years and this is the third time she’s been honored as an Employee of the Year. She is KPD’s lead crime analyst and is the crime analysis unit’s supervisor, working closely with detectives and officers.
  • Scott Erland is the department’s spokesman as its communications director. You may have seen him on TV. He joined KPD in June 2019 and has served two chiefs – retired Chief Eve Thomas and current Chief Paul Noel.

Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. You can email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.