KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville Police Chief Eve Thomas announced Friday she will retire from the department in May 2022. The city said it will seek community input and conduct a nationwide search for her successor.
A nearly 30 year veteran of KPD, Thomas was named the city's first female police chief in June 2018. She oversaw the deployment of body cameras for officers and a new "co-responder" program for people experiencing mental health emergencies.
She and the department faced criticism during her tenure, particularly after the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old student who had a gun inside Austin-East Magnet High School. Gun violence spiked during her tenure with 2021 already on record as the deadliest year for shootings in the city's history.
Knoxville Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie in July criticized Thomas and KPD, saying she had lost confidence in the chief's ability to lead and she believed the department had fostered a culture of racism.
"I’ve had a lot of challenges, there have been challenges across the nation. I can tell you this decision was based on my 30 years [of service]. It really was," Thomas said at a press conference Friday.
Thomas said she wants to wrap up several potentially high-profile internal affairs investigations and implement cultural awareness training before leaving the department on May 1, 2022. "I want to make sure the next chief has a fresh start," she said.
Kincannon thanked Thomas for her service, which she said "made Knoxville a safer place."
Thomas joined the Knoxville Police Department in 1993 and advanced in various leadership roles including serving as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain, commander of the Patrol Division's East District and commander of KPD’s Internal Affairs Unit.
In March 2018, she was named KPD's second-ever female deputy chief shortly before former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam tapped then-police chief David Rausch to lead the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Mayor Kincannon applauded Thomas’ work to address the health of officers on the force.
“Chief Thomas implemented a wellness program that took a comprehensive and leading approach that is helping to de-stigmatize mental illness,” Kincannon said. "Being a police officer is a challenging job, especially these last few years. I appreciate the strides Chief Thomas has made in addressing the overall wellbeing of our officers.”
Chief Thomas has served under several administrations and expressed her gratitude to have such a long-lasting career in Knoxville.
“I truly don’t have the words to express how thankful I am for my time at the Knoxville Police Department,” Thomas said. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to call myself a KPD officer for the better part of the last three decades. There hasn’t been a single day that I didn’t cherish the opportunity to come to work and serve this great community alongside all of the men and women, both past and present, who have made this department a wonderful place to work. Despite the trials and tribulations, I loved my time as Chief of Police, which is a credit to the men and women of the KPD. I have been inspired by their passion and dedication, and know that they will continue to work with persistence to make Knoxville a better place for all who call it home."
Chief Thomas said over the next six months she will be finishing some of the projects KPD has started, ensuring a smooth transition for the next successor.
"It’s not a funeral," Thomas said. "I felt kind of weird at first, but I have six more months and a lot to do."
Thomas and Kincannon said the city will begin a nationwide search for Knoxville's next police chief immediately. They are also asking for input from KPD officers and the public to learn more about the qualities they would like to see in a new chief.
Those public input meetings are expected to begin the first full week in January at locations across the city, a press release states.
"It’s bittersweet because I’ve enjoyed a great career. I’ve been supported. I’ve been I have accomplished a lot personally and professionally and I’m at a place where I’m ready to say okay it’s time for somebody else to step up and take the reins," she said. “I only hope that in some way I have paid it forward for future KPD officers and staff."