Investigations Bureau
The Investigations Bureau falls under the direction of a Deputy Chief and is divided into two separate divisions — the Major Crimes Division and the Investigative Services Division. With oversight from a division Captain, the Major Crimes Division includes the Homicide Unit, Violent Crimes Unit, Organized Crime Unit, Forensics, Crime Analysis, and East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. The Investigative Services Division includes the Special Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce, and Property Crimes Unit.
Crime Scene investigators work cooperatively with the Field Operations officers and investigators in collecting evidence at crime scenes. Depending on the evidence, they work with the ID unit and fingerprint examiners to make positive identifications. When guns and ammunition are used in a crime, forensic examinations are conducted by ballistic experts who have received specialized training.
Property Crimes detectives make up specialty teams investigating Burglary & Larceny, Auto Theft, Forgery and Fraud cases. The Pawn Shop detail works to support theft investigations while Polygraph Examiners are committed to confirming the truth.
The Organized Crime Unit is comprised of detectives who are assigned to narcotics, intelligence, gangs, and the Drug Related Death Task Force. Additional teams under the Special Crimes Unit include those who investigate domestic violence, elder abuse, human trafficking, juvenile crimes and missing juveniles. While officers from these units focus on crimes relating to their assignments, investigations oftentimes bring them together to pool their areas of expertise.
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force consists of detectives and electronic evidence forensic examiners. The Knoxville Police Department is the lead agency for the Tennessee ICAC Task Force and assists law enforcement agencies from across central and east Tennessee in investigating child exploitation.
Investigations Bureau Commander
Deputy Chief Tony Willis
awillis@knoxvilletn.gov
865-215-7055
Deputy Chief Tony Willis was promoted to Deputy Chief in January of 2023. Prior to his promotion, Willis served as a Captain in numerous capacities, including as the East District Commander, West District Commander and within the Investigations Bureau. In his role as the Deputy Chief over Investigations, Willis oversees all of the investigative functions of the Knoxville Police Department. He also leads the department’s violence interruption and focus deterrence efforts.
Major Crimes Division Captain
Captain Ryan Morrow
rmorrow@knoxvilletn.gov
865-215-7298
Captain Ryan Morrow is the Knoxville Police Department’s Major Crimes Division Commander within the Investigations Bureau. Captain Morrow has been with the KPD since 1996 and has served as a Patrol Officer, Violent Crimes Investigator, patrol Sergeant, Property Management Unit Sergeant, Management Services Lieutenant, Training Director, Property Crimes Lieutenant, and Violent Crimes Lieutenant. Captain Morrow also served on the Search and Recuse team and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit as a certified bomb technician. Captain Morrow retired from the Explosive Ordnance Unit in 2021 after 8 years. He retired from the unit as the Commander. Captain Morrow attended Bethel University where he received a B.S. in Criminal Justice.
• Homicide Unit (murder, suspicious deaths, non-fatal shootings, assaults with life-threatening injuries)
• Violent Crimes Unit (missing adults, aggravated assaults with non-life-threatening injuries, assaults, work-place violence, robbery and bank robbery)
• Organized Crime Unit (narcotics trafficking and distribution, federal taskforces, firearms investigative team, gang/intelligence, Drug Related Death Taskforce)
• Forensic Unit (crime scene processing, fingerprint identification, firearms identification, photo lab, and polygraph detail)
1650 Huron Street
Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (865) 215-7000
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