TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma City Manager Elizabeth Pauli has chosen Avery Moore as the top finalist for the next chief of the Tacoma Police Department (TPD).
Mayor Victoria Woodards confirmed the selection to KING 5 on Thursday, just over two weeks since the finalists for the role were chosen. The Tacoma City Council will meet Dec. 7 to decide whether to confirm Moore to the position.
Moore is currently the assistant chief of police for the Investigations Bureau of the Dallas Police Department in Texas. He started his career in Dallas and has held several leadership roles, according to Tacoma.
The other three finalists included Michael Carroll, who is retired from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Sean Case with the Anchorage Police Department and Tigard Police Department Chief Kathy McAlpine.
Moore and the other finalists faced a long recruitment process that saw them take questions and answers from not only the city council but also the public.
When asked about recruiting a diverse workforce on Nov. 17, Moore said that TPD should be a “microcosm” of the community. Questioned about recent state legislation limiting police pursuits, Moore said the new rules don’t limit officers, explaining, “We still make arrests of the people that need to be arrested. We still pursue the people that need to be pursued.”
Tacoma has been searching for a new police chief for about a year after Don Ramsdell retired in December 2020. He had served as chief since 2003.
He announced his retirement in July 2020 amid calls for police reform following Manuel Ellis’ death, who died while in the custody of three Tacoma officers. The incident occurred just weeks before the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer sparked worldwide protests.
The three officers involved in Ellis’ death have been charged, two with murder and one with manslaughter.
If confirmed, Moore would take over the department from Interim Chief Mike Ake.