The Special Services Division uses both certified law enforcement officers and teachers in to inform the public about community-based programs. The Division includes two-full time education specialists who visit all Knox County schools throughout the academic year. They instruct a curriculum that includes crime prevention, child molestation prevention and firearms, bicycle and pedestrian safety. 

Special Services also includes the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program. D.A.R.E. started in twelve Knox County Schools in 1991 and since then thousands of fifth graders have graduated from the program, which is now in 22 schools.

Project S.C.A.N. Senior Citizens Awareness Network) is another successful key element of Special Services. The innovative program seeks to establish a partnership between law enforcement and the elderly population of Knox County. Uniformed and trained volunteers pay frequent visits to the elderly in this program. S.C.A.N. focuses on reducing the fear of
crime for senior citizens and improve their quality of life through programs such as home security and wellness check, crime prevention information and a Victim outreach program.

Another successful program, which was established in 2004 through a grant, is Project Lifesaver. It is the first one in the state and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is the State Coordinator for the project. The program helps reduce the fear of family members who have adults or children in their homes with a tendency to wander due to Alzheimer’s, dementia, Down Syndrome, or Autism. The person who might wander wears a wristband that emits a constant tracking signal. If the person does wander off and cannot be found by the caregiver, a search and rescue team responds to the area and starts searching with a mobile locator tracking system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to just minutes.