KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The lawyer hired just months ago to be deputy chief over professional standards at the Knoxville Police Department is leaving.
Former federal prosecutor Brooklyn Belk's departure is effective July 16, a Friday release from KPD states. She started in February amid fanfare about how she would help Police Chief Paul Noel as he focuses on improving processes, accountability and transparency at KPD.
Among her duties was taking part and overseeing an overhaul of the department's Internal Affairs Unit, renamed the Office of Professional Standards. Her work included overseeing diversity and inclusion efforts.
As recently as May 21, Belk appeared on a Sunday Knoxville talk radio program, discussing her role with KPD.
She was specifically hired for the position, which was not advertised.
Friday's release doesn't specify why Belk's time at KPD was ending after about four months.
Internally, KPD has seen turmoil with multiple veteran officers leaving as Noel institutes changes. Veteran Internal Affairs investigators including Sgt. Amanda Bunch and Capt. Steve Still left or retired this spring as their unit faced a remake.
Mayor Indya Kincannon hired Noel, who spent a career at the New Orleans Police Department, in summer 2022 as a change agent.
Belk's job was to review and evaluate KPD's policies, practices, procedures and training to ensure KPD was following best practices. She was part of the executive leadership team.
In a news release Friday, Noel said: "I knew that we were only going to have her for a short time." In his prepared statement, the chief said she was the right person in her brief time to "help us through some pressing matters and start the process of building out systems, modernizing our policies and procedures, and laying the foundation for this position moving forward."
Belk, formerly a federal prosecutor for nine years including stints in Knoxville and in Middle Tennessee, was a trusted member of the leadership team, Noel said in the release.
Kincannon deemed Belk's hiring in February as an "incredible addition" to the city. The mayor, in a prepared statement, said Belk was the ideal candidate to contribute to KPD's commitment to "transparency, accountability, and equitable policies."
When an officer's conduct came under scrutiny, Belk was among those included in the loop.
For example, she was among those alerted in March after Officer Tyriq Campbell ended up jumping out the window of a Cookeville apartment building after an off-duty hook up went sour, as WBIR has previously reported.
Campbell was shifted to the department's TeleServe unit. The department didn't launch an internal review at the time.
He's still an employee of the department but currently doesn't have police powers, WBIR has learned.
The Cookeville Police Department investigated but no charges were forthcoming from their review.
KPD this month opened its own internal review of Campbell's conduct.
The department also suspended his police powers, KPD spokesman Scott Erland said. That's not automatic when the department opens an internal investigation, but it deemed it appropriate in this case, Erland said.
Friday's release about Belk, also an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, includes comments from her.
"As I move forward to the next steps in my career as an advocate, litigator, and educator, I will continue to be a resource for the KPD leadership team and my predecessor, if ever called upon, and look forward to seeing the Police Department grow and prosper with this community under the Mayor and Chief Noel's leadership,” Belk added. “I will miss those with whom I worked most closely. I wish the entire team, civilian and uniformed staff, particularly the Office of Professional Standards’ Captain Brian Evans and his team, great success and safety," she is quoted as saying.
KPD will look for a replacement.
For this hiring, according to KPD's release, "Qualified applicants from across the country will be considered for the position, which is appointed by the Chief of Police."
