Holiday task force leads to over 600 arrests, Knox County sheriff says

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is crediting more than 600 arrests to its holiday task force.

Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said the task force was responsible for 647 arrests between Oct. 13 and Dec. 23 for charges like theft, outstanding warrants and drug violations. Made up of personnel from the narcotics and retail crimes, property crimes, major crimes, digital intelligence and patrol divisions, the goal of the task force was to crack down on crime that affect retail business.

“This task force reflects our commitment to safeguarding the citizens of Knox County while supporting the businesses that are vital to our local economy,” Sheriff Tom Spangler said. “By aggressively targeting organized retail crime and the criminal networks behind it, we are helping ensure our community remains safe and our businesses can thrive.”

KCSO said many of the drug charges stemmed from task force investigations. This, KCSO said, emphasizes a connection between retail crime and other issues.

“Organized retail crime is rarely an isolated offense. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of a coordinated, intelligence-driven approach involving multiple specialized units working together to disrupt both theft operations and serious narcotics trafficking,” Chief of Detectives David Amburn said.

In total, the task force recovered almost $300,000 in stolen items, six pounds of fentanyl, 45 pounds of cocaine and 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, KCSO said.