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Knoxville council approves Downtown Knoxville Alliance budget after heated debate over mounted police
Summary
The City Council approved the Downtown Knoxville Alliancebudget, which includes funding support for an expanded Knoxville Police Department mounted unit, over objections about cost and community sensitivity. The measure passed 8-1.
Knoxville City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution to adopt the Downtown Knoxville Alliance (DKA) annual budget that includes support for an expanded Knoxville Police Department (KPD) mounted patrol, after extended debate about cost, deployment and community impact.
The DKA budget item passed on a voice vote reported as 8-1. Councilmembers discussed the proposal for roughly 20 minutes before the vote during the item listed as 11a on the agenda.
Councilmember Amelia Parker raised concerns about the history and optics of mounted police and whether the unit would make some residents feel less safe. "We have to acknowledge the history of police horses being used in oppressive ways," Parker said, adding that the city should "have more questions answered before this new thing is incorporated into our policing." Councilmember Parker pressed on whether mounted…
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