TDOS Promotes Reaker Bass to Memphis District Captain

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Department of Safety today announced the promotion of Reaker Bass as the new Captain over the Memphis District.

A native of Whiteville, Tennessee, in Hardeman County, Captain Bass has served as the Administrative Lieutenant in the Cookeville District since May of 2007.   During the past year, he supervised a number of high profile incidents in the Cookeville District, including the July 12, 2008 hazardous materials chemical leak in Cumberland County that forced closure of the I-40 for 31 hours.  The hazardous materials response required a significant coordination of manpower that included a major detour of traffic around the crash scene.   In January, Cookeville District troopers made a traffic stop in Cumberland County that led to the arrest of a fugitive from justice and the recovery of more than $100,000 in stolen cash.  Last month, an extensive manhunt in White and DeKalb counties resulted in the arrest of a convicted felon from Missouri who fled a crash scene and stole a vehicle.

“I am looking forward to returning to the part of Tennessee where I grew up and leading a team of men and women dedicated to making our west Tennessee highways and communities safe,” said Captain Bass.

Bass brings extensive experience in both highway law enforcement and criminal investigations to his new role as Captain of the 10-county Memphis District.   From October 2004 to March 2006, he served as an investigator in the internal affairs unit, where he was promoted to Lieutenant before his transfer to the Cookeville District in May 2007.  Prior to his work as an internal affairs investigator, Bass worked as a midnight shift Sergeant in the Cookeville District from January 2002 to October 2004.  His duties as a midnight shift Sergeant demanded that he supervise THP activities in the 16-county Cookeville District during that shift.  He also has extensive experience working as a member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s interdiction team in the Cookeville and Chattanooga districts. This experience helped prepare him to lead the THP’s role in Homeland Security related issues in the Memphis District.

Commissioned as a Trooper in January 1989, Bass first worked as a Road Trooper in Putnam County in the Cookeville District and was promoted to Sergeant in January 2002.  He is a 2003 graduate of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command and a 2006 graduate of the Tennessee Government Management Institute. Prior to becoming a Trooper, Bass served as a police officer for four years in the Covington Police Department.  He attended both U-T Martin and Tennessee Technology University studying criminal justice and is a 1981 graduate of Bolivar High School.  Bass and his wife Joyce have three daughters, ages 20, 18 and 12.

Bass replaces Captain Thomas A. Smith who retired on June 30, 2008, after nearly 33 years with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Captain Reaker Bass