KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon released the list of the 39 people who applied to be the city's next police chief more than a year after hiring Paul Noel.
The release comes after the Knox News Sentinel sued the mayor's office for "repeatedly refusing requests for public records," according to the newspaper.
The newspaper said Kincannon's administration repeatedly denied requests because the search was not subject to open records law.
Kincannon said the applicants applied for the job through the non-profit Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). She said PERF forwarded candidates to her when the search was ongoing.
On Dec. 13, 2022, a judge ruled city officials must answer the newspaper's questions about the hiring process.
Kristin Farley, Knoxville's director of communications, said at the time that Kincannon had created an "interview advisory committee" to help her interview candidates and provide feedback. Kincannon, in a news release, described the pool of candidates as "diverse and qualified."
"More than one year after hiring KPD Chief Paul Noel, I have asked the Police Executive Research Forum to reach out to all of the candidates for this position to see if the anonymity that was promised as a part of this selection process, is still required," Kincannon said when the applicant list was released. "I have been informed that all applicants have agreed to PERF releasing their resumes to those who request them. As a result, I have asked PERF to forward those records to the City," Kincannon said.
According to the list released by Kincannon, the applicants came from 23 different states. Eight came from Tennessee. Of those eight, three KPD employees applied.
The city of Knoxville provided a redacted version of the applications it received. You can view that below or at this link.
