Special Victims Unit

The Special Victims Unit leads investigations into reports of domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, juvenile missing persons, human trafficking, rape and all other sex-related crimes. The Special Victims Unit also oversees the City of Knoxville’s sex offender registry.

SVU detectives often work cases in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, the Tennessee Adult Protective Services, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

SVU also has a number of non-sworn personnel that handle victim advocacy, training, and community outreach programs. The victim service advocates help clients with orders of protection, safety planning, shelter, transportation, legal aid referrals, and long-term counseling. 

Special Victims Unit detectives are housed within the Knoxville Family Justice Center. Providing dedicating staffing at the Family Justice Center gives the KPD and SVU an unprecedented level of inter-agency partnership within both the law enforcement and social service realms. This creates a unique opportunity to help prevent crimes through education and resources. It also allows SVU to investigate crimes using agency partnerships, and assist victims of crime holistically through advocacy and service provider relationships.