TENNESSEE – Everyone in Tennessee knows the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has the best-looking state highway patrol vehicle in the nation. Now we need your help to make that official! THP is competing in the “2021 Best-Looking Cruiser Contest.” State highway patrols and state police organizations from across the country are competing for the top spot. The winner will be presented with the “Best-Looking Cruiser Award” and featured on the cover of the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) Best-Looking Cruisers 2022 wall calendar. The calendar will be available for purchase at www.statetroopers.org beginning October 1, 2021. Calendar sales will benefit the American Association of State Troopers Foundation, which provides educational scholarships to dependents of member troopers.

Due to an increase in fatalities and aggressive driving in Hamilton County, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Chattanooga district led a multi-jurisdiction enforcement campaign to address impaired driving and violent crimes over the Independence Day holiday period. The multi- jurisdiction team operation covered three evenings for a total of 24-hours.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will conduct a variety of traffic safety initiatives and utilize data-driven enforcement strategies during the Fourth of July holiday period to help reduce serious injury and fatal crashes across the state. The traffic safety campaign will begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 2, and conclude at 5:59 a.m. Tuesday, July 6.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) plans to increase patrols and utilize a variety of traffic safety enforcement tools to reduce the number of serious injury and fatal crashes across the state during this year’s Memorial Day holiday period. The THP will conduct saturation patrols, seat belt and sobriety checkpoints, as well as increased visibility on high-crash corridors throughout the summer to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes.

On May 4, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Chattanooga District responded to a BOLO from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) that their troopers were in pursuit of a stolen Rolls-Royce out of Georgia. THP Sergeant David McVey observed the stolen vehicle speeding at 177 mph on I-24 WB in Marion County, Tennessee. The stolen vehicle then passed a Porsche 944 and caused the driver of the Porsche to crash into the rear of the Rolls-Royce. Both vehicles pulled to the shoulder of I-24 at the 127 mm, where two males exited the Rolls-Royce and attempted to physically remove or carjack the driver of the Porsche. During the altercation, a semi-automatic pistol was presented by one of the suspects.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will permanently close the Centennial Express Driver Services Center located at 6604 Centennial Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee. Due to the expiration of the lease and future demolition of the building, the center will permanently close effective May 3, 2021. The department is actively searching for a new location to serve customers.

On April 23, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) responded to a BOLO of a hit-and-run driver on I-40 in Putnam County. It was reported that the fleeing driver allegedly shot at another vehicle in an apparent road rage incident.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has been notified that the federal implementation date of REAL ID has been extended by an additional 19 months, from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023. Today, Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro N. Mayorkas made the announcement due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Jeff Long of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Colonel Matt Perry of the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced the opening of the new THP Jackson district headquarters at 336 Smith Lane, Jackson, Tennessee 38301. The department broke ground on the new headquarters on November 26, 2018. This is the first new THP headquarters since the opening of the THP Fall Branch district headquarters in 1982.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (TDOSHS) Driver Services division is pleased to announce the addition of document uploads to its online services options. This service allows new and existing customers to upload required identity documents to be pre-vetted and added to the customer’s profile prior to visiting a Driver Services Center.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will be participating in the traffic safety initiative “Operation Impact 24.” The mission of this operation is to promote safe driving behaviors and increase the visibility of law enforcement in areas that have historically experienced high volumes of crashes.

On January 15, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s (THP) Interdiction Plus Unit (IPU) stopped a semi-tractor and trailer for a traffic violation on Interstate 40 at the 101-mile marker in Henderson County. As the trooper was performing a Level II commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety inspection, he discovered possible indicators of criminal activity.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will be accepting applications for cadet class 1021 from January 6th, through February 2nd. The trooper cadet class starts June 27. During the 16-week academy, our training division will challenge and prepare you for the real-life scenarios you will experience as a trooper.