High terrorist alert called for in the area

Following United States Attorney General John Ashcroft’s announcement of a heightened threat of terrorist activity, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office took steps to heighten its state of readiness for emergency events. An officer has been assigned to the E-911 Center to help interpret any suspicious calls. KCSO Special Teams are also on special alert and are verifying the state of readiness of all equipment that would be used in case of an emergency. Staff from the Aviation Unit, EOD Unit (explosives detection and remediation), and K-9 Unit (bomb detection dogs) are double-checking all apparatus and supplies to make certain they are prepared to deploy at a moments notice. Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison urges citizens to be aware of their surroundings at all times. “There is no need for panic, but you should be alert and if you see anything suspicious report it to authorities immediately. All law enforcement agencies are being briefed about the same threats and all are working together,” said Sheriff Hutchison.