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Civil Service Merit Board approves KPD plan to reclassify deputy chiefs as assistant chiefs
Summary
The Civil Service Merit Board voted unanimously March 12 to allow Knoxville Police Department to convert three deputy chief positions to assistant chief status, a change the department said is administrative and intended to align leave and managerial flexibility.
The Civil Service Merit Board approved a request from the Knoxville Police Department to reclassify three deputy chief positions as assistant chiefs, the board said March 12.
Chief (name not specified), Chief of Police, told the board the move would not add positions or change the department's management structure but would allow the department greater flexibility and more appropriate leave accruals for senior executives. "What I'm looking to do is convert my deputy chiefs into assistant chiefs," he said, adding the change is "purely administrative."
Why it matters: the department said the reclassification would let leaders hired from outside the department, including senior hires with long professional careers, begin with leave and benefits more commensurate with their experience. The chief cited the department's recent hiring of Judge Guyton as chief of professional standards, saying under the current classification the hire would begin with leave accruals equivalent to an entry-level cadet.
Board and staff response: board members and staff signaled support. Board Chair Bill Lyons called the request "an excellent request for the kind of management flexibility" large departments need. Civil service staff present said they had worked with the department and the administration on the proposal.
Formal action: the board moved, seconded and approved the request by voice vote. The board did not record individual roll-call votes; the meeting record shows an affirmative voice vote and the chair declared the request approved.
What the board recorded: staff noted the department would retain one second-in-command, three bureau chiefs and the chief of professional standards under the existing organizational structure. The change affects classification and administrative treatment rather than adding or eliminating positions.
Next steps: the board approved the reclassification request during the March 12 meeting; civil service staff and KPD will implement the classification change according to personnel processes and payroll adjustments.
Votes at a glance - Motion: Approve KPD request to convert three deputy chief positions to assistant chiefs. - Outcome: Approved (voice vote; individual votes not recorded in the minutes).
