Meet
Rick
Scarbrough
Becoming a grandparent changes your perspective. As law enforcement officer and Chief of Police, I worked hard to keep our community safe. As a father and a husband, I was blessed to raise a family in Anderson County and watch my daughters have children of their own. Now, as a grandfather, I worry for the future that my grandchildren will have. My opportunity to make an impact for them and every child in Tennessee is now, and I don’t want to waste my time.
About Rick
Rick Scarbrough became the Executive Director of the University of Tennessee’s Law Enforcement Innovation Center on August 1, 2018. Before joining the university, Rick served 23 years for the Clinton Police Department, and the last 16 years as their Chief of Police. He began his law enforcement career serving six years at the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.
As a law enforcement officer and husband to, Mollie, a pharmacist and co-owner of Hoskins Drug Store, Rick knows what it takes to keep healthcare costs low, support local businesses, and keep our community safe from crime and addiction.
He is a graduate of the 197th session of the FBI National Academy. He also attended the College of Policing Senior Leadership Seminars held in Manchester, England in 2017 and in London in 2022. He has held leadership positions on numerous boards including the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. In 2014, he was awarded Police Chief of the Year for the State of Tennessee.
He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Organizational Management from Tusculum College.
Rick, Mollie, and their two daughters, Natalie and Rachel, were baptized at First Baptist Church of Clinton. Natalie and her husband, Jeff, have two sons, Jack and Eli. Rachel and her husband, Burton, have a son, George.
