KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Traffic Engineering installed the first camera for the Knoxville Police Department’s Real Time Information Center (RTIC), KPD said.
The new camera is at the intersection of Moody Avenue and Chapman Highway, a location chosen based on years of police calls. It is the first of 10 initial cameras planned for the project. The other locations are:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue at Chestnut Street
- Daylily Drive at Joe Lewis Road
- Oldham Avenue at Reed Street
- Broadway at Depot Avenue
- Broadway at 5th Avenue
- Merchant Drive at Merchant Center Boulevard
- Broadway at McCroskey Avenue
- Western Avenue at University Avenue
- Texas Avenue at Sherman Street
KPD doesn’t yet have access to the video feed as of Dec. 31, 2025. It tentatively expects the center to be operational by the first half of 2026. However, KPD previously told 6 News the center would be fully functional by the summer of 2024.
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The police intend to use the RTIC as an investigative tool after crimes. It is modeled after a similar system in Chattanooga. In a previous article, a KPD Sergeant explained how the police plan to use the cameras to reduce violence. KPD also said the system could help during natural disasters.
KPD conducted a test of the center in September that included a multi-day demonstration of Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology. The department has also used the Operations Center within the RTIC space for an emergency exercise in June and to monitor safety during the first Smokies game in Covenant Health Park.
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The Knoxville City Council approved the construction of the RTIC in March 2023. KPD said that people and businesses will soon be able to voluntarily integrate their cameras to support the system. The RTIC system is intended to be inside KPD’s public safety complex, the same building that houses KPD’s immersive training simulator…