Knoxville City Council Rejects Alternative Response Teams

Mayor casts deciding vote against proposal to send mental health experts instead of police to some 911 calls

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:07am

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The Knoxville City Council has declined to endorse a plan to dispatch mental health experts instead of police to respond to 911 calls for people in crisis. The alternative response plan was developed by a task force over the past year but was ultimately rejected in a deadlocked council vote, with Mayor Indya Kincannon casting the deciding 'no' vote.

Why it matters

Alternative response teams are designed to remove police entirely from initial responses to nonviolent situations like mental health or substance abuse crises, as many people in crisis are more willing to accept help from mental health experts than law enforcement. The proposal was seen as a supplement to Knoxville's existing co-response program that pairs police with behavioral health workers.

The details

The alternative response plan was prepared by a private firm based on the task force's research. It would have expanded efforts to de-escalate tension and provide assistance in nonviolent situations. Proponents argued it would be a valuable addition to the city's existing co-response program, while opponents said the co-response program already addresses many concerns and the city lacks the funds to support a new pilot program.

  • The Knoxville and Knox County joint task force on alternative response was established in February 2024.
  • The task force spent more than a year developing the alternative response plan.
  • The Knoxville City Council voted on the plan and rejected it on March 31, 2026.

The players

Indya Kincannon

The mayor of Knoxville who cast the deciding vote against the alternative response plan.

Amelia Parker

A Knoxville City Councilmember and consistent advocate for alternative response teams who wrote the resolution supporting the task force's plan.

Paul Noel

The Knoxville Police Chief who raised concerns with the task force's plan that were not addressed in the final report.

Brad Anders

The director of Knox911 who expressed doubts about the need for alternative response when the city's co-response program is already working.

United Way of Greater Knoxville

The organization that led the task force developing the alternative response plan.

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What they’re saying

“I believe (the co-responder program) already addresses a chunk of the concerns. When I think about using funds, I think about what this cost is. Do we invest in (another) response or do we invest in what the data is saying?”

— Karyn Adams, Knoxville City Councilmember

“After reading the recommendations, I brought a lot of concerns. None of them made it into the report.”

— Paul Noel, Knoxville Police Chief

“It puts our people in another role of deeper questioning.”

— Brad Anders, Director of Knox911

What’s next

Councilmember Amelia Parker said she is working with the Knox County Commission on its own resolution to endorse the alternative response plan, despite the City Council's rejection.

The takeaway

The Knoxville City Council's decision to reject the alternative response plan highlights the ongoing debate over the role of law enforcement in responding to mental health and substance abuse crises. While some argue for a more specialized, mental health-focused approach, others believe the existing co-response program is sufficient and the city lacks the resources to support a new pilot program.