The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy has the honor of producing some of the best law enforcement officers in the state through the Basic Police School. Recruits train for 12 weeks, followed by on-the-job training. Anyone working full-time in a law enforcement agency is eligible for the school. Upon completion of the necessary course work, the graduate is eligible for POST (Peace Officer Standard Training) certification.
The Training Unit maintains its own professional training staff and hosts a number of specialized training schools every year such as the FBI, Homeland Security, and NRA.
Each certified officer is mandated by the State of Tennessee to receive 40 hours of in-service training every year to maintain POST certification. The Training Unit conducts in-service training for Sheriff’s Office certified officers, court security officers, and school police officers. It also conducts specialized training for KCSO’s SWAT Team, Citizen’s Academy, SCAN (Senior Citizen Awareness Network) volunteers, Tracking Team, and the Honor Guard.
Training also maintains a-state-of-the art indoor firing range for year-round firearms training and qualification, and an outdoor range for combat courses.