KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Officers with the Knoxville Police Department cannot work extra jobs at businesses that primarily make money from alcohol sales that patrons drinks inside the business, KPD said on Thursday. Their policy effectively prevents officers from working extra jobs at bars.
They said the change only impacts five places where officers were previously authorized to work extra jobs—three bars located in the Old City, one on Gay Street and one on the Cumberland Avenue strip, according to KPD. They included Southbound and Wagon Wheel in the Old City, as well as the Embassy Suites Rooftop Bar and Uptown Bar and Grill.
A spokesperson said that the department's secondary employment policy gives the Chief of Police authority to stop officers from working extra jobs for any employer or business as they deem appropriate.
Before any change was made to where officers could work extra jobs, the policy already restricted them to working outside of bars only. They could not work inside the establishments.
The policy that prevented the officers from working some jobs is below.
11. An employee will not engage in any secondary employment that constitutes a threat to the status or dignity of the police as a professional occupation. Examples of employment presenting a threat to the status or dignity of the police profession are:
b. Any employment involving the sale, manufacture or transport of alcoholic beverages as the principal business, or any employment by an establishment that sells or otherwise provides alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, except extra-duty employment for special events authorized by the City of Knoxville Office of Special Events. In the discretion of the Chief of Police, with the concurrence of the Law Director as the ethics officer for the City of Knoxville, permission may be granted for extra-duty employment by establishments selling or providing alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises where there is a demonstrated need for additional police services, but such extra-duty employment shall be limited to providing security outside the premises of said establishments.
The spokesperson said that there are several other extra jobs that officers can choose to work without restrictions. They said every business that hires police officers for secondary employment has a point of contact at KPD, and those points of contact are responsible for notifying businesses about changes to policies that could affect employment.