Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen today named Officer Mike Waggoner as the 2004 Officer of the Year for the Knoxville Police Department. Officer Waggoner has been with the department since November 1974.

Chief Owen said Officer Waggoner has always been a leader throughout his thirty-year career. His leadership abilities came to the forefront in 2004 when he was picked to lead the Central District's TAC Team, a team designed to identify and target known and likely suspects operating in the area. The success of the team was a direct result of Officer Waggoner's leadership.

Officer Waggoner and his team focused on persistent and repeat offenders that plagued the Fort Sanders area in addition to the Old City and Downtown areas. Their efforts have resulted in dozens of felony charges against suspects involved with crimes such as robberies, vehicle burglaries, business burglaries, and vandalisms.

Chief Owen said, "Mike and his team were so successful that the Old City went for a month with no reported vehicle burglaries. That accomplishment can only be attributed to the leadership of Mike and the work of his team." Chief Owen said due to Officer Waggoner's abilities, he was brought in during the early stages of the investigation into the church vandalisms that occurred throughout Knoxville late last year. Through his persistent efforts and determination to solve those cases, a suspect was identified and eventually charged with the vandalisms.

Chief Owen said, "Mike was the driving force behind the team's success. He kept them motivated, focused on their duty, and let it be known that simply 'catching the bad guys' was the number one priority of his team."

"Mike worked long, hard hours in the search, surveillance, and apprehension of suspects. He was an unstoppable force on the job," said Chief Owen.

Mayor Haslam said, "Officer Waggoner has performed his duties in a stellar manner. He has shown dedication and determination in his daily work ethic. We are appreciative of his efforts and congratulate him on this tremendous award."

Officer Waggoner will receive a signed certificate from the Mayor and Chief along with a free dinner from Ruby Tuesday.

2004 OFFICERS OF THE MONTH:

Jan: Bradley Cox, John Williams
Feb: Todd Hardin
March: Greg Taylor, James Cox, Pete Franzen
April: Harry McGuffee
May: Donny Sams
June: J.D. Hopkins, Jonathan Chadwell
July: Doyle Lee, Kevin Ragland
Aug: Aaron Bowman, Eric Parks
Sept: Mike Waggoner, Robert Hembree, Steve Still
Oct: Shane Watson, Phil Jinks
Nov: Robert Taylor, Nelson Hamilton, Jeremy Maupin, Ryan Acuff, John Williams, Aaron Bowman, Rodney Townsend, Sgt. John Dalton
Dec: Todd Hardin, Charles Sands, Brian Bush

2004 LIFESAVING:
Brad Anders, Doyle Lee, Robert Taylor

2004 CIVILIANS:
Oct: Jonne Crick
Nov: Jackie Roberts
Dec: David Kitts