Deputy Chief Celeste Murphy
Deputy Superintendent Paul Noel
Assistant Chief Troy Price
Assistant Chief Glenn Scruggs
Mayor Tim Kelly today named four finalists who will advance in the search for Chattanooga’s next chief of police. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and an internal review committee have selected the following finalists:
Celeste Murphy: Deputy Chief Celeste Murphy has served in the Atlanta Police Department for over two decades, where she has held the roles of patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. In 2016 she was appointed to the rank of major and selected to lead the Office of Professional Standards (or, Internal Affairs). In the history of the Department, she is the sixth woman to serve as a precinct commander, and the first woman ever to command two different precincts.
Paul Noel: Deputy Superintendent Paul Noel has served in the New Orleans Police Department for over two decades, having held a variety of patrol and investigative assignments including chief of Field Operations, and as commanding officer for the Special Victims Section, the Criminal Investigation Division, and the Second District. In his current role as chief of detectives he oversees all centralized investigative functions, the Crime Lab, and various other support functions.
Troy Price: Assistant Chief Troy Price began his career in law enforcement in Chicago, and currently helps lead the Vancouver Police Department, where he’s served in a variety of roles. As assistant chief of police, he currently oversees the Department’s precincts, patrol personnel and a team of over 100 volunteers.
Glenn Scruggs: Assistant Chief Glenn Scruggs has nearly three decades of service to the Chattanooga community in public safety. He has worked in the Public Housing Unit, the CPD Neighborhood Policing Bureau, and the CPD Investigations Bureau. In his current role as assistant chief for the Chattanooga Police Department’s Neighborhood Policing Bureau, he oversees approximately 260 sworn officers.
A document containing full-length biographies on each of the four candidates can be found at cha.city/chiefsearch.
“Our next chief of police must have a demonstrated commitment to civil rights and community policing, the ability to spur a strong culture of accountability within the department, and a track record of successfully keeping residents safe,” said Mayor Kelly. “There’s no question that every single one of these four finalists brings these traits to the table, and I’m impressed with the caliber of law enforcement professionals who've shown interest in CPD, in Chattanooga, and in our City government.”
Over the coming weeks, Mayor Kelly as well as an interview panel—that includes local public-safety stakeholders representing a diversity of community voices, ideas, and perspectives—will go in-depth with each candidate to identify the best fit for Chattanooga residents. Finalists will spend time in Chattanooga with Mayor Kelly and the interview panelists.
Community voices participating in the finalist-interview stage of the hiring process include:
Charlie Brock — Entrepreneur
Dr. Ternae Jordan, Sr. — Mount Canaan Baptist Church
Ann Pierre — Chattanooga NAACP
Joe Smith — Hamilton County School Board District 3
Dr. Ernest L. Reid, Jr. — Second Missionary Baptist Church
Kristie Wilder, JD, MSW — Southern Adventist University, School of Social Work
Organizations listed for identification purposes only, as these community leaders are representing their perspectives rather than their organizations, officials said.
“While we’d be fortunate to have any one of these dedicated public servants at the helm of CPD, I’m looking forward to selecting the best possible chief for Chattanooga,” said Mayor Kelly.
To ensure a fair, transparent and ethical process, the Mayor’s Office and City Council engaged the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a police research and policy organization with 30 years’ experience helping local governments recruit qualified police chief candidates. PERF has assisted with more than 75 executive searches in the last ten years and has also coordinated several successful searches during the pandemic. The City previously contracted with PERF for a police chief search in 2014. That search resulted in the hire of Chief Fred Fletcher.
In October 2021 Mayor Kelly’s office announced its timeline for completing the search process for a new Chief of Police, and the City remains on track to nominate a candidate for City Council confirmation by the end of February. The public-engagement portion of the search process included both an online survey and multiple public input sessions to ensure Mayor Kelly’s administration heard from as many residents as possible. Recordings of the three public input sessions and a detailed summary of community feedback received through all channels can be viewed at cha.city/chiefsearch.
The internal interview panel for earlier phases of the selection process included staff from PERF, Mayor Kelly and members of Mayor Kelly’s senior team. This panel was charged with ensuring that the city identifies candidates with a track-record of innovation and community engagement, and a commitment to civil rights and public safety.
By City Charter, Mayor Kelly will select the next chief of police.