Frank Murphy interviews Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel, who was was sworn in as Knoxville’s 27th Chief of Police on June 13, 2022. Prior to assuming command of the Knoxville Police Department, Noel was a Deputy Superintendent at the New Orleans Police Department, where he served in numerous leadership roles for over 25 years.

After hiring over 100 recruits in 2025, KPD is back to full staffing levels for the first time in over a decade. The most recent recruit class started on March 23, 2026. 

Murders matched a 10-year low in 2025. As of March 29, there have been no murders in Knoxville so far in 2026. Non-fatal shootings are down around 90 percent. 

KPD is preparing to launch a Drone as First Responder program. They be able to deploy semi-autonomous drones to provide real-time information to officers responding to calls for service. They are also planning to activate overt cameras in areas with more incidents requiring police assistance. 

More information is available about the KPD Real Time Information Center at https://knoxvilletnpolice.gov/real-time-information-center/