Paul Noel

Paul Noel, current deputy chief of the New Orleans Police Department, has been named the new police chief for the city of Knoxville. Noel is the deputy superintendent in charge of the New Orleans PD’s criminal investigations division and was a finalist for the title of Chattanooga police chief earlier this year. Noel has spent 25 years with NOPD, working his way up from patrol officer to chief of field operations in 2015. He also created the Ethical Policing Is Courageous program (EPIC), a peer intervention program to educate, empower, and support officers who stop wrongful actions by other officers. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Loyola University New Orleans. Noel will take over the position from Chief Eve Thomas, the first female chief of police for Knoxville, who announced her retirement last fall. His first day will be June 13.