KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Fifty years ago, on Nov. 11, 1974, Mike Waggoner began working with the Knoxville Police Department. In the years since then, he has worked a variety of different roles and assignments but continued serving the same city.
The police department posted about his decades-long career on social media, commending him for his work. The post said he has mentored hundreds of past, current and future Knoxville police officers. It also said Waggoner's impact has been so great that a department award bears his name — the Mike Waggoner Leadership Award.
The award is presented annually to officers who embody "the characteristics that the KPD wants to instill in future generations of officers," according to the social media post. Recipients of the award included a 23-year veteran of the police department, as well as an officer who spent much of her career investigating child abuse cases, especially sexual abuse.
"He has left a mark that cannot be erased, and he will continue to make our department and city a better place!" the social media post said.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon also congratulated Waggoner online on his decades of service.
