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$44K severance for former chief ensured ‘clean, immediate separation,’ Chattanooga mayor’s office says

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Former Police Chief Celeste Murphy speaks during a news conference on violence reduction in 2022. Murphy now faces 17 criminal charges, including perjury, official misconduct, illegal voter registration and falsely filling out official documents. She is receiving 90 days of severance. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Former Police Chief Celeste Murphy speaks during a news conference on violence reduction in 2022. Murphy now faces 17 criminal charges, including perjury, official misconduct, illegal voter registration and falsely filling out official documents. She is receiving 90 days of severance.

By David Floyd June 29, 2024 4 min read

Former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy is set to receive about $44,400 in severance pay from the city, an offer Mayor Tim Kelly’s office said was necessary to move the city and department forward.

Murphy resigned Wednesday after more than two years as Chattanooga’s top cop. On Thursday, she turned herself in at the Hamilton County Jail to face 17 criminal charges, including perjury, official misconduct, illegal voter registration and falsely filling out official documents.

Hired away from the Atlanta Police Department in 2022, Murphy kept her home in that city. Some of her legal trouble comes from government forms, including voter registration, that she signed and submitted under penalty of perjury saying she lived in Chattanooga.