KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol spent much of Monday unpacking their things, after moving into a new district headquarters.
They celebrated moving to the new building off Strawberry Plains Pike with a grand opening and a ribbon-cutting event. The new building replaces an old building off Kingston Pike and offers enough space for more than one division, according to officials.
"It brings all of our specialized groups together," said Col. Matt Perry, the lead uniformed officer with THP. "We have teams that specialize in our worst-of-the-worst crashes and teams that investigate auto theft, and it brings all of them together."
The new building also has space for evidence boxes, lockers and safes. Officials said they hope to continue working in the new building for years to come.
The old building off Kingston Pike was dedicated on July 27, 1966, making it more than 55 years old.
The Knoxville district is "District 1" and covers much of East Tennessee including Morgan, Scott, Roane, Blount, Sevier and Loudon counties.