Administration

Chattanooga Police Department Executive Staff

The Executive Staff of the Chattanooga Police Department is made up of the Chief of Police, Chief of Staff and four Assistant Chiefs.

Chief Of Police Celeste Murphy 

Police Chief Celeste Murphy is a 25-year law enforcement veteran. Chief Murphy brings a demonstrated ability to reduce crime and a proven commitment to community policing.

Chief Murphy, helped drive and maintain a double-digit decrease in overall crime in her precincts as Deputy Chief of the Field Operations Division, and has also led department efforts to provide educational and life skills to the city’s youth, including working with local nonprofits to provide alternative pathways to criminal justice involvement.

“As chief, I will bring every resource, every relationship and every ounce of experience to meet this challenge and keep our city and our neighborhoods safe,” Murphy said. “We are going to expose the humanity in each other by embracing what we have in common. We will work together instead of against each other through conversations and partnerships between the departmentand the community. And we will enhance both our focus on stopping crime as well as our work to address its root causes.”

Over the last two decades, Murphy rose through the ranks at the Atlanta Police Department, serving as patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major and deputy chief. She has worked in or supervised every division of the department, including Special Operations, Special Projects, Field Operations, Strategy, and Community Services.

Deputy Chief Eric Tucker is a 30-year veteran of the department. Deputy Chief is the second highest rank in the CPD and Deputy Chief Tucker reports directly to Chief Murphy. He is assigned as the commanding officer of the major bureaus of the department and assumes the duties of the Chief of Police in his absence. In addition, the Deputy Chief serves as the Chief of Staff to the Office of the Chief of Police and keeps the Chief informed of all operational activities on a day-to-day basis.

Assistant Chief of Department and Community Development Danna Vaughn is a 25-year veteran of the department. The Department and Community Support Services Bureau is an expansion of the existing Community Services. Assistant Chief Vaughn oversees Victim Services, Volunteer Chaplains Corps, Community Outreach, Peer Support, Employee Groups, and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD).

Assistant Chief of Neighborhood Policing Glenn Scruggs is a 25-year veteran of the department. Neighborhood Policing is the largest CPD bureau with more than 200 patrol officers citywide answering all calls for service made to 911. The Neighborhood Policing Bureau also works directly with community members, neighborhood associations, and local organizations to create solutions to problems that lead to crime.

Assistant Chief of Special Operations Jason Irvin is a 23-year veteran of the department. He oversees Technical Services, Support Services, Training Division, Traffic Unit and Tactical Operations which includes K9, SWAT and EOD.

Assistant Chief of Investigations Zac McCullough is a 25-year veteran of the department. The Investigations Bureau includes supervision of Focused Deterrence, Organized Crime, Violent Crime, Violent Crime, Property Crime, and Special Victims Unit. Assistant Chief McCullough oversees Task Force and Criminal Intelligence Officers who work in conjunction with CPD's federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.