KPD replaces Deputy Chief

In The Daily Dumpster Blog by S. Heather Duncanleave a COMMENT

The Knoxville Police Department is promoting three officers today in a ceremony at Overcoming Believers Church in East Knoxville, including a new deputy chief over criminal investigation. Kenny Miller will be replacing Nate Allen, who was one of only eight black ranking officers in the department and its first black deputy chief. Allen took a job as police chief in Decatur, Ala., in late May.

Darrell DeBusk, public information officer for the Knoxville Police Department, said only two officers within the department qualified and were candidates for the deputy chief job, Miller – who was a captain and commander of the East District patrol division – and Capt. Eve Thomas, commander of the Internal Affairs Unit and the highest-ranking woman in the department.

Miller has been with the Knoxville Police Department since 1992. He has a Bachelor of Science in human ecology from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from Lincoln Memorial University, and he has graduated from the Southeastern Command and leadership Academy, the FBI National Academy and a senior management institute for police. Over the years he has worked patrol in the East District, supervised school resource officers and commanded the Internal Affairs Unit.

While running Internal Affairs, Miller was in charge of investigating the high-profile beating of a homeless man, Michael Allen Mallicoat, in 2013, leading to criminal charges against three KPD police officers. He has also analyzed analyzed patterns in officer use of force, which led to recommend last year that the department offer financial incentives for higher education and require officers to have at least an associates’ degree.

The official promotion ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. at Overcoming Believers Church at 210 Harriet Tubman Street, and is open to the public. Others being promoted include newly-appointed Lt. Ryan Morrow, Sgt. Jeremy Moses and Sgt. Nate Skellenger.

S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com

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