The Cumberland Avenue Strip has changed numerous times over the last few decades. Businesses have come and gone. The street itself has undergone makeovers—most recently a massive streetscape project in 2017.
What remains unchanged since at least the 1970s is the partnership between the University of Tennessee Police Department and the Knoxville Police Department to serve students and business owners on and around the Strip.
This photo, circa 1971, shows an unidentified UTPD officer, left, and a KPD officer on a walking beat as they patrol the Strip together.
The UTPD officer is wearing a three-tone brown uniform. The department changed its uniforms to dark blue in the early 1990s.
Also of note is the tall building seen just west of the Strip. It used to be called Kingston Apartments and belonged to the university. Today, it is privately owned and called the Social Knoxville.
This story is part of the University of Tennessee’s 225th anniversary celebration. Volunteers light the way for others across Tennessee and throughout the world.