About David Amburn

David Amburn has served the Knox County Sheriff's Office for 34 years, rising from correctional officer to Chief of Detectives. His career includes assignments in patrol, investigations, narcotics, federal task forces, Director of Homeland Security, and fleet management. 

Today, he oversees the Detective Division and Fleet Program, managing a multi-million dollar budget. Under his leadership, the narcotics unit helped remove a significant amount of fentanyl, firearms, and dangerous criminals from our streets. For those efforts, our team was honored as the Tennessee Narcotics Officers Association 2024 Narcotics Unit of the Year.

As your Sheriff, I will build upon the strong foundation established by Sheriff Spangler. Our county is growing quickly, which means calls for service are increasing. I want to put more deputies on the street to deliver faster response times and keep our neighborhood safe. I will work to staff every school with an officer and to implement a special response team to address critical incidents or threats to our schools. To combat the rise in crime, I will implement cutting-edge technology and restore proactive policing units.

I'm a lifelong Knoxville resident, and this community has always been home. I grew up on Amburn Lane on my great-grandfather's farm in West Knoxville and graduated from Farragut High School. My parents still live here, and I raised my two children, Ashton and Conner, right here in Knoxville.

Today, as "Pop-Pop," I'm proud to watch my grandchildren, Holston, Sutton, Mavery, Annie, and Raleigh, being raised in the same community that has meant so much to our family. Their ages range from newborn to 11, and like so many families here, our roots run deep in this community. As your Sheriff, I will ensure the safety of your family the same as my own.