On July 6, 2007, 19 recruits graduated from the Basic Recruit Academy. Two twenty-five week Basic Recruit Schools for 42 new officers were held in 2006. The Basic Recruit School consists of the traditional police training including driving, firearm skills, and officer survival courses. This school is unique in that it offers college level courses in Leadership, Cultural Awareness, Communications, Spanish and Ethics to help provide a well-rounded education for Knoxville's future law enforcement officers. Because of the level of training offered during the Basic Recruit School, the Training Academy applied for and was accepted as an Accrediting Agency, which will allow veterans to receive GI Bill benefits for attending the Basic Recruit School. In July 2006, an assessment team from Excelsior College came to the Knoxville Police Department Training Academy for an assessment of our training materials. Recommendations made by the team include the degree plan from Excelsior College, the number of credits recommended, the level of the credits, the effective dates of the evaluation, and course description. This means graduates of these training programs can take advantage of up to 36 college level credits. During 2006, the Training Unit also provided some of these same courses in the form of a 40-hour In-Service to sworn officers and civilian employees to develop their skills.

The Phil E. Keith Training Center, an East Knoxville facility, (located on Cement Plant Rd.), houses a state of the art firearms center to include two 30 point, 50-yard pistol ranges; one 20 point, 100-yard rifle range with a rappelling and sniper tower. The ranges are equipped with electronic targeting systems controlled from the range tower. The facility is also equipped with two 45-person classrooms and computerized firearms training system. Located adjacent to the Phil Keith Training Center, the recently opened Don Jones Driving track includes a sophisticated skid pad, large skills area, and city response course, complete with street signs, markings, and traffic lights. A roadway to simulate highway and interstate driving encircles the track. The track is equipped with lighting for nighttime use and also has a central control point housed within the four-story control center. Like simulators used by aircraft pilots, a computerized driving simulator is also used to advance police driving skills. We look forward to this facility being a regional resource for both government drivers training as well as providing education to the community. To further utilize the Don Jones Driving Track, in 2006 the Knoxville Police Department partnered with Partners for Highway Safety to provide "Collision Avoidance Training" for newly licensed drivers between the ages of 16-18. C.A.T. is a two-day advanced defensive driving and vehicle control program. All classes are conducted under the direct supervision of certified high liability driving instructors and students receive the same behind-the-wheel training as police officers. Classes began in July of 2006 with at total of 26 participants successfully completing the program.