Professional Standards Unit
The Kingsport Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit was officially formed in 2014 with the goal of unifying several pre-existing divisions of the department under one central umbrella for the purpose of maintaining nationally recognized standards of excellence in law enforcement. The divisions of the department that make up the Professional Standards Unit include the Training Division, the Internal Affairs Division, the Accreditation Manager, and the Public Information Officer.
Lieutenant Steve Hammonds received his Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Tusculum University. He initially joined the Kingsport Police Department in 1994 as a Corrections Officer, and he was sworn in as a Police Officer the following year. Throughout his career at the Kingsport Police Department he has served in Patrol, Community Police, Community Relations, Training, and Criminal Investigations. He has fulfilled a wide variety of specialized roles including Accreditation Manager, Domestic Violence Investigator, D.A.R.E. Instructor, and S.W.A.T. Operator. He has also served as an Agent assigned to the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force. He was promoted to Lieutenant in April of 2016 and served for a time as Executive Director of Kingsport 911 and later as a Patrol Watch Commander. In his current assignment, Lt. Hammonds oversees the K.P.D. Professional Standards Unit.
