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Knoxville leaders to honor Chief of Police Eve Thomas Tuesday evening, ahead of retirement

Thomas said she plans to retire in May, and the city said they hope to have an announcement about her replacement by May 1.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville leaders said they planned to honor the city's Chief of Police on Tuesday during the City Council meeting, as she prepares to retire.

Chief Eve Thomas announced in November 2021 that she planned on retiring in May 2022. She is a 30-year veteran of the Knoxville Police Department and was named the city's first woman 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 also spiked during her tenure with 2021 already on record as the deadliest year for shootings in the city's history. 

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.

Officials with the city said that they hope to have an announcement about her replacement by May 1, after searching for candidates to take over the job.

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