June 21, 2022

Police chief announces promotion of Church to major

Johnson City Police Chief Karl Turner announced Tuesday that Billy Church has been promoted to the rank of operations major.

A 27-year veteran of the Johnson City Police Department, Maj. Church most recently served as captain of Platoon 3. He has also served as a public safety officer, criminal investigator, sergeant and lieutenant.

“Major Church has an exemplary history with our department and is highly respected among our officers,” said Chief Karl Turner. “He’s an ideal leader for our operations division.”

Maj. Church performed exceptionally well through the promotional process, which consists of job-specific exercises and an assessment/interview. Points are also awarded for education level, and the candidate’s work history is evaluated. 

Maj. Church holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bethel University. He is a graduate of both the Southeast Command and Leadership Academy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy. In addition, Maj. Church has completed the Tennessee Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and multiple Municipal Management Academy trainings.

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