Chattanooga police chief being investigated for official misconduct, residency

Chattanooga’s police chief is under investigation for official misconduct, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Chief Celeste Murphy is also the subject of an internal affairs investigation at the department, which she requested, Murphy said.

“I remain committed to CPD and our community,” she said in an email to department staff Wednesday, which was also posted to her social media.

The TBI’s investigation centers on questions about the chief’s residency, Murphy said in her email. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported in March that public records show Murphy was claiming conflicting residency in both Tennessee and Georgia.

Chattanooga’s city charter requires city employees to live in Tennessee. Murphy was hired in 2022 from the Atlanta Police Department, and records show she still owns a home in that city.

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