Phipps Named Interim Police Chief

The city is beginning the formal hiring process to replace Police Chief David Quillin, who retired late last year after 35 years of service. In the meantime, Dale Phipps has been named Interim Police Chief. Phipps has nearly 33 years of service himself with almost half that time as Deputy Chief overseeing administration and operations. He is also a husband, father of three, grandfather of six, and is active in the community.

He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University (A.S. Law Enforcement / B.S. Criminal Justice) and the F.B.I. National Academy. Prior to entering the law enforcement profession, he served four years in the United States Air Force Security Police.

During his career with the Kingsport Police Department he has served as Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, and Supervisor of the Vice and Narcotics Unit before eventually returning to the Patrol Division as a Watch Commander. Throughout the years he has served in several specialized roles including S.W.A.T. Team Operator, Community Relations and Crime Prevention Officer, and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Instructor.

The Kingsport Police Department has been internationally-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for 29 years—an achievement earned by only 1,148 of the more than 17,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

“Police Chief is one of the most important selections a city must make,” said City Manager Chris McCartt. “We will use a thorough and competitive process comprised of both internal and external candidates, but until then the department is in Phipps’ very capable hands.”