In June, Paul Noel became the new chief of police for the department, which serves over 180,000 citizens in eastern Tennessee.

According to an NBC News interview, before officially stepping into the role, Noel reached out to 21CP Solutions, a consulting agency that helps cities “tackle the toughest public safety and policing challenges,” to review the department. He wanted this survey done so he could know the true feelings of his unit.

“These are all things that people in the community and the police department anecdotally knew,” he told NBC News. “But this is the first time we had a jumping-off point to actually create change.”

The assessment was open for two weeks in August and conducted through surveys that let the officers answer anonymously and focus groups.

To help enhance the work culture, about 360 sworn officers and almost all 100 nonsworn personnel participated. Through the review, they learned the majority of Black officers felt they were not treated the same as their white counterparts. In addition, they believe the promotion process regulates how many Black people can move up in the department at one time as well.

The news wasn’t surprising to anyone living in Knoxville, as there has been a history of unjust treatment within the force and reports shared by the Knoxville News Sentinel of racial discrimination.

In 2021, the newspaper published a story that detailed how leadership attempted to sway a Black officer so that he wouldn’t file a complaint about his white coworker’s racist comments in order to avoid external controversy — this showcased an even larger problem.

The honest feedback shed light on the harsh reality Black officers face while working within the police system.

“Often times if you make a complaint, there is retaliation. Supervisors aren’t keen on trying to extinguish disagreements until they have escalated. And there is no avenue to resolve issues with a supervisor,” an anonymous officer said in the report.

Another added, “There is a process in place, but I do not trust it. I feel like some people are immune to punishment or consequence and if you work directly for one of those people, keep your mouth shut.”

“When applying for posted positions and training, if more than one Black officer applied for a job that has multiple open slots, only one Black officer would get selected and the other one would be told to wait until the next posting,” a third stated.

Only about five Black sworn officers admitted they feel heard by their direct supervisor when they voice concerns. But, in the end, those concerns are lost on their way up the ladder.

Twelve others stated they feel their race causes them to be slighted in multiple ways. All together, Black officers felt there isn’t a concrete process in place for employees to find solid resolutions for internal issues.

On the opposing side, white officers reported feeling that minority officers receive special treatment during the hiring and promotional process, although only nine females and just one Black male hold high-ranking positions.

After the findings, 21CP Solutions suggested that the department readjust all stages of its hiring process to ensure diversity across the board for current and new officers. Furthermore, it was advised that adding a mentorship program for minorities would help provide comfort in the workplace.

Noel acknowledged that the report made things “pretty clear” on what the next steps should be. He said he hopes that, over time, he can help with the progression of the Knoxville police department.

“We did not get into this mess overnight, and we’re not getting out of it overnight,” he told NBC News.