By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
LA VERGNE, Tenn. — A new chief of police for the La Vergne Police Department is expected to start his position in early September.
Captain Christopher Moews of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will start leading the department on Sept. 6, WZTV reports. The new chief was appointed after five officers were fired and three were suspended following an internal investigation that revealed several instances of sexual misconduct, some happening while on duty and on city property.
Moews is a law enforcement veteran of 30 years. He said he is excited to start his new chapter in La Vergne after serving the City of Milwaukee since 1996.
“During the course of meeting with several members of the La Vergne Police Department, as well as other city leaders, I have been impressed with their professionalism and dedication. It is an honor to serve the City of La Vergne as its next police chief!” Moews said.
His position was approved at a city council meeting on Aug. 22.
Background
At the beginning of 2023, a female La Vergne officer was having intimate relationships with other members of the department, according to WSMV News. The report also uncovered a “Girls Gone Wild” party involving multiple officers and their families in a hot tub on an officer’s houseboat, according to the report.
An independent investigation revealed that former Chief Chip Davis was aware of more than what he disclosed to municipal authorities. This includes knowledge of unseemly sexual relationships between officers prior to the start of the original investigation by city leaders.
Text exchanges between the former chief and a past sergeant reveal that Davis had sent explicit images and unsuitable videos through a disposable phone, but he never reported any of these activities to Human Resources, WZTV reports. Davis also did not take disciplinary action against any involved officers.
When Davis participated in interviews during the primary investigation, he did not reveal any previous awareness. It was not until city leaders presented Davis with hard copies of his own text messages that he admitted to having prior knowledge.