Public Information Officer (PIO) for the University of Tennessee Police Department and Public Safety.
The PIO is responsible for responding to media inquiries, coordinating press conferences and public events, assisting field personnel with local media relations, and serving as a liaison on public relations matters with other university departments. The Public Information Officer strives to educate the public, promote the department, and improve UTPD public relations by producing and disseminating accurate information through field programs, media contacts, and daily crime logs.
The PIO of Public Safety handles matters for the following entities within Public Safety at the University of Tennessee.
- University of Tennessee Police Department
- Emergency Management
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Physical Security
The information disseminated by the PIO is in accordance with departmental policies and procedures and state/federal laws. Information pertaining to ongoing investigation or investigations where the UTPD is not the primary investigating agency will not be released. Copies of the daily media log are made available to media outlets Monday–Friday during regular business hours.