TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma police Chief Avery Moore was placed on administrative leave, a spokesperson for the city confirmed with KING 5.
Moore was placed on paid leave effective Sept. 25, according to Maria Lee with the City of Tacoma Communications Office.
It's currently unclear why Moore was placed on leave.
Deputy police Chief Paul Junger will be the acting chief of police, according to William Muse with the Tacoma Police Department.
KING 5 requested interviews with Mayor Victoria Woodards, Deputy Mayor John Hines and city Manager Elizabeth Pauli. All three declined on Sept. 26.
Former King County Sheriff and KING 5 law enforcement analyst John Urquhart said just because Moore was placed on leave doesn't mean what's being investigated is criminal. If there are allegations, it doesn't mean they are serious, Urquhart said. When it comes to a high ranking member of a police department, investigators often err on the side of caution and place them on leave because they have so much power and access to information.
It, "doesn't mean it's the end of the world for the chief," Urquhart said.
Moore was confirmed as Tacoma's police chief by the city council in December of 2021 after being selected over two other finalists. He began working for the city in January of 2022, taking over for Don Ramsdell, who retired in 2020.
Moore worked for the Dallas Police Department for 30 years prior to moving to Tacoma.
When he began his job as chief in Tacoma, Moore said his first priority was addressing the city's crime rate. At the time, Tacoma was dealing with an 80% increase in arsons and 63% increase in motor vehicle thefts.
Moore was chief when the police department began its Crime Reduction Plan. That included a "hot spot" policing strategy focusing on violence-prone addresses by increasing police visibility in those areas. Overall, the police department had reported at least some success by mid-2023, including a 21% reduction in violent crime incidents between July 2022 and February 2023.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
