After dedicating over three decades of his life to law enforcement and public safety, Captain Sammy Shaffer will be hanging up his KPD badge for the last time this Halloween. His departure marks the end of a notable career spanning a breadth of roles within the Knoxville Police Department, from firefighter to Training Director to commander.
On Thursday, the KPD held a ceremony to both acknowledge Captain Shaffer’s contributions and to express their sentiments about his retirement, which he was offered and accepted a new role as the Director of Public Safety at McGhee Tyson Airport, according to an announcement on KPD’s official website.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, Chief Paul Noel highlighted Shaffer’s impactful career by saying, “It’s hard to imagine our department without Sammy,” Noel shared. Continuing, “He has embodied what it means to be a Knoxville police officer and has served our department with the pride and professionalism. Like his father before him, Sammy has truly left a lasting imprint on our department.” In this vein of legacy, Shaffer’s departure opens up a challenging task of finding someone who can fill the position with the same vigor and dedication…