Meet the Command Staff
When the Kingsport Police Department’s Command Staff sit down together to make an important decision, they bring over 140 years of combined law enforcement experience to the table. Each of these individuals has a specific skill-set giving them a unique perspective. Together they manage the Kingsport Police Department and serve as an advisory panel to assist the Chief of Police with any significant developments. It is the mission of the K.P.D. Command Staff to provide the citizens of Kingsport with a professional law enforcement agency founded on the principles of Courage, Integrity, and Justice.
Chief Dale Phipps has been a sworn officer with the police department since September 1988, where he has served in many areas of operations and administration throughout his career, including Uniform Patrol, SWAT, Vice/Narcotics, and Professional Standards. He was instrumental in the department’s decision to field Tasers as an additional less lethal option, both conducting the research and writing the policy that governs their use. Chief Phipps is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 228, Quantico, VA, as well as having an Associate and Bachelor Degrees from East Tennessee State University. In March 2021, he was selected to become the 15th Chief of Police of the Kingsport Police Department.
Deputy Chief Jason Bellamy received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Criminal Justice and Sociology from East Tennessee State University. He then went on to earn his Masters of Education, also from E.T.S.U. Before joining the Kingsport Police Department in 1998, Deputy Chief Bellamy worked for Frontier Health as a Crisis Clinician and served as a Reserve Officer for the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office. He is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy and the National Forensic Academy. During his tenure at K.P.D. he has served as a Patrol Officer, Detective, Training Sergeant, Watch Commander, Captain of Operations, and Commander. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in April 2021, and now serves as second in command, overseeing the day to day operation of the department.
Commander Sean Chambers received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from East Tennessee State University. He initially joined the Kingsport Police Department in 1993 as a Corrections Officer, and he was sworn in as a Police Officer the following year. He has served the department in a variety of roles, including Patrol Officer, Community Police, Vice Detective, and as Director of the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force. He rose through the ranks while on Patrol, where he served as a Watch Commander. He later supervised the department’s Criminal Investigations Division. He was promoted to Commander in May 2021 and now oversees both the Operations and Administrative Bureaus and manages the department’s budget.
Captain Justin Quillin received his Associate of Science in General Studies from Northeast State Community College and has also attended Liberty University. He joined the Kingsport Police Department in 1995 and has served in a variety of capacities including Patrol Officer and Community Police. He has supervised in the Training Unit, the Patrol Division, the Administrative Bureau, the Jail, the Strategic Operations Unit, and the Professional Standards Unit. Captain Quillin is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy. He has fulfilled several specialized roles including S.W.A.T. Operator, Honor Guard Team member, and Department Chaplain. He was promoted to Captain in January of 2023 and currently oversees the Operations Bureau.
Captain Chris Tincher served five years in the United States Marine Corps before receiving his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from East Tennessee State University. While a student at E.T.S.U. he participated in a field experience internship at the Kingsport Police Department. Impressed by this opportunity, he officially joined K.P.D. as a Patrol Officer in 1998 after his graduation. He soon found his niche in the Criminal Investigations Division where he served as a Detective, specializing in Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations and serving as a C.I.D. supervisor. While assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division he had the opportunity to attend the National Forensic Academy. He has also served as a firearms instructor and the department’s Range Master, as well as a supervisor in the Professional Standards Unit and the Patrol Division. He was promoted to Captain in January of 2023 and currently oversees the Administrative Bureau.
