Blog: KPD News & Alerts

Lieutenant Mark Fortner Appointed as Assistant Chief

Veteran Knoxville Police Department Lieutenant Mark Fortner has been appointed as Assistant Chief, it was announced by Chief Eve Thomas on Tuesday. The appointment will take effect immediately.

“I am humbled that Mark has agreed to take on this new role,” Thomas said. “Mark has faithfully served the Knoxville community for nearly three decades and has proven to be a caring and confident leader. Mark is incredibly knowledgeable, a dedicated public servant, and committed to our mission of ensuring the safety of the Knoxville community. He will be a great asset to the department in this role.”

Mark Fortner Promotion

Fortner graduated from the KPD Training Academy in June, 1993 and was immediately assigned to patrol, where he has served in several capacities for the majority of his career. Throughout his tenure at KPD, he has served in numerous supervisory roles, including as a Patrol Sergeant, the commander of the Central Business District, which encompasses all of downtown Knoxville, and as a Patrol Lieutenant.

“I want to thank Chief Thomas for giving me this opportunity,” Fortner said. “I don’t take this appointment and the responsibility that comes with it lightly, and I appreciate Chief Thomas for having faith in me. There is a lot that Chief Thomas still wants to accomplish before she retires in May, and I am excited to help her work towards realizing that vision over the next few months.”

Fortner was promoted to Sergeant in 1998 and later promoted to Lieutenant in 2005. Fortner has also served as a member of the KPD’s Special Operations Squad (SOS) since 1996. Prior to accepting the appointment as Assistant Chief, Fortner had been serving as Chief Thomas’ executive officer since June, 2020.

“I wanted to create this position to give future Chiefs the flexibility to appoint an officer to help accomplish their goals and mission for the department. I also wanted that person to have the authority to act on my behalf without bearing the responsibility of supervising a specific division,” Thomas said. “Mark is a perfect selection, as we share a lot of the same goals and vision for the department. He has been exemplary at every supervisory level, and I am confident he will continue to excel as my Assistant Chief.”

With his appointment as Assistant Chief, Fortner will retire from SOS after 25-plus years as a member of the team. Upon Chief Thomas’ retirement, the next Chief of Police will have the option to retain Fortner as Assistant Chief or make an appointment of their choosing from a pool of either internal or external candidates. If not retained, Fortner would return to his previous rank as Lieutenant.

“When Chief Thomas presented me with this opportunity, I jumped at it,” Fortner said. “I care deeply about the men and women of this department and will always act in their best interests as well as the best interests of the community. I am ready to get to work.”

Posted by serland On 07 December, 2021 at 1:41 PM