Celeste Murphy
Mayor Tim Kelly on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy in the wake of an official misconduct investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
“This morning I accepted the resignation of Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy, effective immediately. While the circumstances surrounding the situation have been challenging, I respect her desire to preserve the integrity of the Chattanooga Police Department,” said Mayor Kelly.
“The brave men and women of CPD serve our community with distinction every day and over the past two years, Chattanooga has seen significant reductions in crime and CPD has grown their reputation as national leaders in community policing, violence reduction, crisis co-response, and solving cases.
"Under Chief Murphy’s leadership, the department has achieved a homicide investigation closure rate of more than 90 percent, which is roughly double the national average and is a testament to the strong relationship CPD has built with the community they serve. Public safety is the foundation of healthy communities, and finding the right person to lead the Chattanooga Police Department as our next Chief of Police is mission critical.”
Mayor Kelly said he will convene a community advisory committee for the search, which will be chaired by City Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley and will include community and faith leaders as well as CPD officers. Former Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher will assist the search committee in an advisory capacity. As with the 2022 Police Chief search, the process "will put a premium on Mayor Kelly and CPD’s core values and priorities, including community engagement, neighborhood policing, gun violence prevention, mental health crisis co-reponse, professional development and recruiting of officers to achieve full force, and a deep commitment to the vision and mission of CPD."
Harry Sommers, CPD’s current Executive Chief of Police and a 40-year law enforcement veteran, will serve as Interim Chief of Police.
“The men and women of CPD work hard every day, often in the face of grave danger, to keep our community safe and enforce the law. It’s an honor to lead one of the finest police forces in America as Interim Chief,” said Chief Sommers. “While our officers may have new leadership, their commitment to service with integrity is unchanged. We will continue to effectively enforce the law while building relationships with the community in order to prevent crime.”
When she was hired by Mayor Tim Kelly in 2022 she was the city's first black female police chief.
It was announced in May that Chief Murphy was under investigation by the TBI.
Chief Murphy acknowledged that the investigation was initiated about her place of residence. She continued to own a home in Atlanta, where she has a number of relatives.
She said she would "cooperate fully" with the investigation and hoped for a quick resolution.
Chief Murphy said she had previously initiated an Internal Affairs investigation into the matter. She said that would be paused until the TBI finished its investigation.
The TBI said the agency was also investigating a complaint of official misconduct against Chief Murphy.
Chief Murphy said at the time, "I hope for a quick resolution to both investigations. Due to these ongoing investigations, my statements about them must remain limited."