his morning's meeting was held to discuss current problems facing the city of Chattanooga, and ways to implement positive changes. Left to right are Napoleon "Donut" Williams, retired Chattanooga detective, Mayor Tim Kelly, Police Chief Celeste Murphy and Elenora Woods, founder of WPTP radio. station.
photo by Ben Cagle
Mayor Tim Kelly and Police Chief Celeste Murphy got some advice from a wise counselor on Saturday morning.
Napoleon "Donut" Williams, who was a longtime city detective, is a breakfast regular at Wally's on McCallie Avenue. He has been telling his associates that the mayor and police chief were coming.
Indeed, they showed up on Saturday morning - a week after a tragic shooting downtown just up from the Tennessee Aquarium.
"Donut" was the city's first black detective after he was hired by Bookie Turner.
He later was asked by Jim Catanzaro to start a police department at Chattanooga State, and he stayed for 17 years.
His breakfast friends say he often advises young officers to closely get to know the residents and the store keepers all along their beat and to gain their trust and confidence. Then, he said, they will be in a much better position to get information when there is a major incident such as the recent shooting in which six young people were shot.