Blog: KPD News & Alerts

Investigator Phyllis Tonkin named 2019 Mike Waggoner Leadership Award winner

Special Crimes Unit Investigator Phyllis Tonkin has been tabbed as the Knoxville Police Department’s 2019 Mike Waggoner Leadership Award recipient, the Department announced on Monday, May 11.

The Knoxville Police Department typically hosts a Recognition Luncheon to honor its yearly award winners. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 Recognition Luncheon was canceled. The winners were presented their award on the afternoon of Friday, May 8.

Investigator Tonkin graduated from the KPD Recruit Academy in November 2002. She worked as a patrol officer until being moved to the Criminal Investigations Division in November 2006, where she has since devoted her time to investigating child abuse, domestic violence and missing persons cases.

“Investigator Tonkin embodies the spirit of this award,” KPD Chief of Police Eve Thomas said. “She has an evident passion for serving and does so with a relentless devotion to her duty to protect those most vulnerable in our community. Her passion, dedication and unwavering enthusiasm is an inspiration to all those around her.”

In recent years, Tonkin, who was selected as the KPD’s 2016 Officer of the Year, has been the Special Crimes Unit’s go-to for investigations involving human trafficking. She has said, “I want to speak up for those victim’s that have had their voices stolen from them.”

Over the past year, Investigator Tonkin has performed in an exceptional manner to protect children from abuse, and routinely demonstrated her willingness to collaborate with state and federal law enforcement partners to achieve the most successful outcome in each of her cases. Additionally, she has developed a deep understanding of the nuances in state and federal law regarding trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children to pursue the successful resolution of cases in both jurisdictions.

“Investigator Tonkin is humble and selfless in her pursuit of justice for victims,” Special Crimes Unit Sergeant Darrell Griffin said. “She constantly offers her assistance to others, no matter how busy she is. Her unwavering attitude in the pursuit of justice has a positive effect on those around her.”

2019 Mike Waggoner Leadership Award video

Posted by serland On 11 May, 2020 at 10:38 AM