Knoxville, Tenn. — Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel recently appeared on WVLT News to discuss the city’s progress in reducing violent crime in 2024, as well as the success of the Co-Responder Program, a collaborative initiative between the Knoxville Police Department and the McNabb Center. The program pairs a Crisis Intervention-trained officer with a mental health clinician to assist in responding to calls involving individuals in crisis.
Noel shared positive news regarding the program’s impact, noting that there were no instances of force being used in any of the Co-Response Team’s calls in 2024. He emphasized the importance of having mental health professionals working alongside police officers when addressing situations involving individuals struggling with mental health issues.
“Every call that we went on in 2024, no uses of force with this Co-Response Team,” said Noel. “Think about how important that is to have someone that’s in crisis and struggling with mental health issues. We bring out a mental health professional and a police officer to work together on these calls. The results have been great.”
The Co-Responder Program currently operates with four teams. However, Noel revealed that the department plans to seek an $820,000 grant to expand the initiative. The goal is to increase the number of teams from four to 16, a proposal that will be presented to the Knoxville City Council during an upcoming meeting. Noel expressed hope that the Council would approve the expansion, which he believes will enhance the program’s effectiveness.
In addition to discussing the Co-Responder Program, Chief Noel also addressed the decline in violent crime across Knoxville in 2024. One of the most notable reductions was in non-fatal shootings, which saw a significant 45% drop compared to the previous year.
Noel attributed much of the decline in crime to the increased community engagement efforts by the Knoxville Police Department. Officers have been working to build stronger relationships with local residents, fostering trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the community.
“The men and women of the Knoxville Police Department are really getting out in the community, getting to know people and building strong relationships,” Noel said. “The partnerships are building, confidence is growing, and the results speak for themselves.”
The Knoxville Police Department’s ongoing efforts to address violent crime and provide effective responses to mental health crises appear to be yielding positive outcomes, and the proposed expansion of the Co-Responder Program could further contribute to these efforts.
