KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — As calls to defund and reorganize police departments sweep across the U.S., Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler addressed the Knox County Commission.
He took to the podium Monday evening to talk about how deputies are trained, the expectations placed on them and said they are under close watch while on the job.
"If one of my people does something that is out of line, out of character, and most certainly against the law — they will be dealt with," Spangler said. "But let me also say, I will also defend any of my deputies who are simply doing their job. I do not want them afraid to do their job which protecting and serving this great community."
Sheriff Spangler said that deputies undergo a five-week training academy that includes how to de-escalate tense encounters. It's not the same kind of training other departments put their deputies and officers through, and he said Knox County Sheriff's deputies learn de-escalation techniques at their training instead of some use-of-force techniques which other departments teach.
Calls to defund the police began after protests against racial injustice spread across the U.S., following the killing of George Floyd while in police custody. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said that he supported some new policies, such as putting an end to no-knock warrants and to stop giving police departments military-grade equipment.
However, Jacobs also said that he rejected the idea that local change would come from the federal government. Instead, he said he supported smaller changes to the criminal justice system.
"We as a country and a community must continue to better ourselves daily," Sheriff Spangler said during his address. "Improvement in any area of life begins within. It starts with each of us evaluating ourselves and seeing which areas we need to improve."