NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski, received the 2024 Legislative Award from the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP).
The award recognizes a lawmaker who has been a champion for public safety and the law enforcement profession.
“I am incredibly honored to receive the Legislative Award from our partners at the TACP,” Doggett said in a statement. “As a former law enforcement officer, I will always do what I can to increase protections and benefits for those who sacrifice their lives to protect us. Thank you to all the TACP leaders for this award and I look forward to continuing our work together.”
Doggett serves as the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and a member of the Criminal Justice Committee. He is also a former corrections officer and deputy sheriff for the Giles County Sheriff’s Office.
During the 113th General Assembly, Doggett led several pieces of legislation to passage that increased the benefits and protections for law enforcement officers.
One of those created a hazardous duty supplemental benefit for all public safety officers. This increase in retirement benefits supports the hard-working first responders who spent their career putting their lives on the line to help Tennesseans.
Doggett also carried a bill that allowed retired law enforcement officers to return to work as a school resource officer while still drawing their full retirement benefits and receiving full pay. This legislation was an effort to fill nearly 600 SRO vacancies across the state to ensure our children are safe at school.
The General Assembly also passed the Back the Blue Act, co-sponsored by Doggett, which enhanced the penalty for assault against a law enforcement officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony punishable by a mandatory minimum 60-day sentence and a $10,000 fine.
The TACP is the largest law enforcement leadership organization in the state with over 1,000 members, according to its website. Through a wide range of programming and partnerships, the TACP provides training for leadership, policy development through accreditation, public safety strategies and community development.
Clay Doggett represent District 70 which includes Giles, part of Lawrence and Lincoln Counties.