2023 Tennessee Code
Title 38 - PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF CRIME (§§ 38-1-101 — 38-14-101)
Chapter 8 - EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF POLICE OFFICERS (§§ 38-8-NEW — 38-8-312)
Part 3 - INVESTIGATIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS (§§ 38-8-301 — 38-8-312)
Section 38-8-301 - Part definitions

As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:

• (1) "Committee" means a police advisory and review committee;

• (2) "Head of a law enforcement agency" means a chief of police of a municipal police force or a county sheriff, as applicable;

• (3) "Internal affairs unit" means a division of a local law enforcement agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by law enforcement officers employed by the agency;

• (4) "Law enforcement officer" means any person employed by any law enforcement agency of a local government entity, excluding a head of a law enforcement agency, who has a duty imposed by law to:
  • (A) Maintain public order;
  • (B) Make arrests for offenses, whether that duty extends to all offenses or is limited to specific offenses; and
  • (C) Investigate the commission or suspected commission of offenses;

• (5) "Local governing body" means the city council, city commission, county commission, metropolitan council, or board of mayor and aldermen of a city;

• (6) "Local government entity" means any city, town, municipality, county, including any county having a metropolitan form of government in this state;

• (7) "Local law enforcement agency" means:
  • (A) Within the territory of a municipality, the municipal police force;
  • (B) Within the territory of a county having a metropolitan form of government, the metropolitan police force; or
  • (C) Within the unincorporated territory of a county, the sheriff's office; and

• (8) "Mayor" means the officer vested by either the city or county charter or general law with the executive powers of a local government entity.

Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 454,s 1, eff. 7/1/2023.

Acts 1989, ch. 398, § 1.