Mayor Madeline Rogero today announced the appointment of Eve Thomas as new Chief of the Knoxville Police Department. Thomas has been with the department since 1993 and was most recently promoted to Deputy Chief in February of this year. She will assume leadership of the department on Monday, June 25, and will be the first woman to lead KPD.
Thomas will succeed Chief David Rausch, who earlier this week was appointed as the new Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation by Gov. Bill Haslam.
“I am thrilled to make this appointment. In personal conversations with the four Deputy Chiefs of the Police Department, as well as conversations with rank and file officers and senior staff at KPD, Chief Thomas emerged as an outstanding choice to assume command of the department,” Mayor Rogero said. “During her 25 years of service to KPD, she has consistently shown leadership, dedication, thoughtfulness and commitment to public service.
“She is highly qualified to build on the great work KPD is already doing to protect, serve and engage with all communities across Knoxville.”
After joining the department in 1993, Thomas served as a patrol officer, field training officer and in other roles before being promoted to Sergeant in 1998. In 2005, she was promoted to Lieutenant, and then to Captain in 2011. In 2013, she was assigned to the Patrol Division as the East District Commander, and in 2015 she assumed an assignment as the Department’s Internal Affairs Unit Commander. She also served in the Criminal Investigations Division before being promoted in February 2018 to Deputy Chief.
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“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the Mayor has given me by allowing me to continue serving the men and women of the Knoxville Police Department and the citizens of the City of Knoxville in this new capacity,” Thomas said. “I am forever indebted to those leaders, both formal and informal, who throughout my career have provided me opportunities for learning and growth. They guided me as I traveled, and corrected me when at times I stumbled, along my path that has led me to this point.
“As I look toward the future, these experiences will guide me as I continue on my journey – a shared journey of servant leadership with all those who have come before me and will continue on after I am gone.”
Thomas has a Master’s Degree from Long Island University’s Homeland Security Master’s Institute and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She has instructed and developed lesson plans for courses in Community and Problem Oriented Policing, Accreditation, Officer Safety for Women and Traffic Accident Investigations. She also serves the community as a Salvation Army Board Member and is Past Chair of the Knox County Community Health Council. She is a member of Leadership Knoxville 2013. She has been married to her husband, Karl, for 30 years and has two teenage sons.