| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 236.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 14 Jan 2004.
Shults named new Chief of Police
NEWPORT-Newport Police Department Det. Jerry Maurice Shults, 40, was named the new Newport Chief of Police at the Newport Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Tuesday.
"I am saddened that we had to replace Chief [Clay] Webb," said Shults. "We lost a great chief, but I am hoping we can move forward and step into the twenty-first century.
"But most of all I want to protect the citizens of Newport," added Shults.
Newport Assistant Chief Don Ball has been Acting Chief since Webb's death on Oct. 1.
Newport Vice-Mayor Connie Ball recommended the selection of Theodore Williams as the new chief, but the only other vote Williams received was from Alderman Jimmy Clark. The other three Alderman, Faye Fish, Roger Butler, and Leon Bryant, voted no on the motion to appoint Williams.
Newport Mayor Roland Dykes Jr. said this motion falls for lack of a majority.
Fish then recommended Shults as the new Chief of Police.
"I make a motion that we appoint Detective Maurice Shults as the Chief of the Newport Police Department effective immediately," said Fish.
Fish said this recommendation comes with much time spent and careful consideration because we had seven good applicants.
The other six candidates were from the NPD including Capt. Wayne Ball, NPD Det. George H. Grooms, NPD Capt. James D. Finchum, NPD Sgt. Jason B. Ramsey, NPD Lt. Lynn Shults, and NPD Capt. Milburn T. Williams.
"All seven were good applicants with certain knowledge and abilities necessary to direct and lead our police department-unfortunately we can only choose one," said Fish.
Fish said we've gotten input from many taxpayers within the City of Newport, as well as input from local officers, officers outside the city, several judges, and state and federal law enforcement agencies that all say Shults is very qualified to fill the position.
"We have heard many concerns as to what we are looking for in a chief," said Fish. "Unfortunately, there is no perfect officer for this position so we must go with the one we feel most qualified, which is Maurice Shults."
Two citizens spoke against Shults' appointment citing he was violent.
"I have been accused of several acts that I have not done," said Shults. "I'm fully willing and able to serve the City of Newport as Chief of Police. I will humbly accepted the appointment if I'm chosen."
Fish said that she would like for Shults to start work on Wednesday morning at the pay scale of Level 10 Step 14 with a 90-day probationary period.
Dykes took another role call vote of the Aldermen and Fish, Butler, and Bryant voted in favor of Shults appointment, while Ball and Clark did not.
Dykes said Shults starts tomorrow with a majority vote.
Shults has been a detective with the NPD since 1995.
He is also the Fourth Judicial District Drug and Violent Crime Task Force Assistant Director as well as being an Agent for the Southeast Methamphetamine Drug Task Force.
Shults is also currently deputized as a Special Federal Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He is also a member of the Eastern District of Tennessee Antiterrorism Advisory Council.
Shults is the adjunct professor at Walters State Community College.
"Mr. Shults is dependable and does an outstanding job for Walters State," said WSCC Assistant Professor William E. Gorman in a letter of recommendation to the city council. "He has served as adjunct instructor for Walters State both in the police academy and the Specialized In-Service program for several years."
He began his career in law enforcement as a reserve deputy with the Cocke County Sheriff's Department from the age of 18 until he was hired as a jailer in 1984.
Shults was hired as a patrolman in the NPD in 1987.
He is a lifelong resident of Cocke County and has been married to wife, Debbie A. Hayes Shults, for 17 years. The couple has one son, Joshyua Shults, 12, who is a seventh-grader at Newport Grammar School. Debbie also has a daughter, Angie Barnes, 28, from a previous marriage and a grandson, Caleb Barnes, 5, who Shults said he considers as his own.
"Since I've been in law enforcement, I have worked closely with agents and officers from several state and federal agencies,'' said Shults. "I have attended multiple schools and conferences."
Shults said he has worked cases ranging from trace to narcotics evidence and has developed good working relationships with agents and officers from a variety of different agencies.
"I feel my education, experience, training, and working relationships with all law enforcement agencies will better enable me to successfully perform the duties of Chief of Police," said Shults.
Shults said he is looking forward to the challenge and his first act, as the new Police Chief, will be to attend a departmental meeting on Wednesday morning at the Newport Community Center.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 11 Mar 2010.
Chief Shults honored at SECLA session
Pictured are Chief J. Maurice Shults and his guests at the Graduation of SECLA Session 9 in Chattanooga. From left, in front, are Angie Templin, Caleb Barnes, and Debbie A. Shults. In the second row, from left, are Bill Templin, Joshyua Shults, Chief J. Maurice Shults holding the Innovator Award for SECLA Session 9.
CHATTANOOGA-Newport Chief of Police J. Maurice Shults graduated the South Eastern Command and Leadership Academy on March 5 in Chattanooga.
The South Eastern Command and Leadership Academy is offered by the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center. The SECLA classes are offered through the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. The class material is studied both on campus and through distance learning. The SECLA curriculum is studied over the course of nine months.
The South Eastern Command and Leadership Academy strives to develop innovators and leaders by preparing mid-level and senior level police supervisors to lead a law enforcement agency. SECLA enhances skills, knowledge and abilities of current law enforcement commanders and challenges them with critical thinking and problem -solving activities.
SECLA utilizes adult learning principles in the delivery of instruction, combines traditional classroom instruction with purposeful teaching activities such as case studies, small group sessions, critical thinking and problem solving. Class members are actively engaged rather than passively participating in the learning experience.
Class members are provided the optimum learning experience with the maximum retention of course materials. Members, of the 9th Session of SECLA, consisted of representatives of agencies with six sworn officers to an agency of twenty two hundred sworn officers.
Chief Shults was elected class secretary by the members of the 9th Session of SECLA. The duties of the class secretary include taking minutes or notes at all class meetings, collecting all class dues or fees, and making any class purchases. The secretary is also responsible for all class communications during and after the class sessions.
During the graduation ceremonies at the Chattanoogan Hotel Chief Shults was awarded the LEIC Innovator Award. The award honors the outstanding innovator of each SECLA Class.
Class members are asked to elect the individual who excels as an innovator in the session according to the following guidelines: Inventiveness (finding new ways to solve old problems, ability to utilize technology in problem solving, Successful launching a new program or policy as a result of attending SECLA. Chief Shults' guests at the graduation ceremony included his wife Debbie Shults, son Joshyua Shults, daughter and son-in-law Angie and Bill Templin and grandson Caleb Barnes.
"I am honored to have had the opportunity to study with such a diverse and talented group of Police and Sheriff's command staff members," said Shults. "I am humbled by confidence placed in me by my classmates. This is by far the most intense training I have been able to attend during my career.
"I was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship from the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. I hope to use the 12 college credits that I earned toward the completion of a criminal justice degree."
On March 8, a reception was held at the Newport Police Department to honor Chief Shults for his hard work and dedication for this well deserved achievement.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 16 Sep 2010.
Newport chief receives Chief of the Year Award
Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults, left, receives the Eastern Tennessee Division Chief of the Year Award from Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police East Tennessee Board Representative and Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp, center, and TACP President and Jackson Police Chief Gill Kendrick, right.
The Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police held its 40th Annual Conference in Knoxville last month.
This year's Eastern Tennessee Division Chief of the Year Award went to Chief Maurice Shults of the Newport Police Department.
This award was presented to Newport's Chief of Police for his progressive, innovative, and professional management of his department. It also exemplifies his involvement with local, county, state, and national organizations to promote and enhance the professional image of all law enforcement.
For more details, please see the latest edition of The Newport Plain Talk.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 9 Oct 2012.
Police chief in motorcycle accident
Author: Nelson Morais
NEWPORT-Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults said he injured his left shoulder on Saturday, Oct. 6, in Knoxville, following a collision with another motorcycle during a benefit ride for an anti-drug program.
Shults was part of a group of motorcycle riders traveling north on Clinton Highway when, 15 minutes into the ride, Shults' motorcycle struck the left saddlebag of Knox County Sheriff Office' Sgt. Roger Sexton's motorcycle, knocking over Sgt. Sexton's motorcycle and throwing Shults off his motorcycle.
Shults said he was "probably" running 40-45 mph on his 2003 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic when "something" happened and traffic "bowed up" in front of him.
"I saw something to my right and took evasive action," the police chief said.
He said his motorcycle's brakes started to lock and his motorcycle went into a "wobble", where the motorcycle's front wheel was "flopping left and right.
"I knew I was going to wreck," he said.
Shults said, once his motorcycle “bounced” off Sgt. Sexton’s motorcycle, his motorcycle and he ?ipped several times and he ended up in the median of the highway.
“It happened so quickly, just a matter of seconds,” he recalled. The driver of the patrol motorcycle Shults struck also reportedly injured his left shoulder, according to Shults.
The police chief was at work Monday morning to train of?cers in the use of road strips in an in-service class, then went to see a doctor.
Shults said an orthopedic surgeon told him he would wait a week before decision whether to perform surgery on his shoulder. “Most likely, I will have surgery,” the chief said. He said he was not in pain.
Following the collision, the police chief and Sgt. Sexton were transported to the University of Tennessee Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Alcohol was not a factor in the crash and the cause of the crash is still under investigation, according to a press release from the Knox County Sheriff’s Of?ce.
Chief Shults said he has ridden motorcycles most of his life. He said he has wrecked dirt bikes before but this was the ?rst time he had wrecked a street motorcycle.
The “Ride for Life” event was held to raise money for the KCSO’s Life Skills anti-drug program.
Chief Shults concluded, “I would like to say I’m extremely humbled by the phone calls, texts, prayers and well-wishes on Facebook” that he received following the accident.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 20 Jun 2013.
Chief Maurice Shults recently awarded Leadership Certificate
Newport Police Chief J. Maurice Shults, left, was recenlty honored by the TN Association of Chiefs of Police. With Shults is TACP President and Murfreesboro Chief of Police Glenn Chrisman.
NEWPORT--Police Chief Maurice Shults recently received a Certificate of Leadership from the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP). He was recognized with a Level 4 certification, the highest awarded by the organization.
The certification is based upon an evaluation of an individual's technical training, academic achievements, leadership and management experience, contributions to law enforcement within their region and throughout the state of Tennessee, and their service to their community.
Chief Shults is the 34th law enforcement command level officer in the state to receive the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership Certification Award.
TACP Representative, Chief Roger Overholt, stated, “This achievement again reflects the quality of our local law enforcement leaders, as well as their commitment to professionalism and the citizens of their communities. I am proud that the East Tennessee Region continues to see this level of recognition for our local police executives. Chief Shults’ service is an example of the dedication of our regional law enforcement command.”
Chief Shults is also a graduate of the University of Tennessee’s South Eastern Leadership and Command Academy, the FBI Tennessee Law Enforcement Executive Development training course, as well as the Municipal Technical Advisory Service’s Municipal Management Academy.
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