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Following the approval of his recommendation for the post, Tullahoma Police Chief Chase Sons was celebrated in a ceremony.

Surrounded by members of the police department, members of other city departments, city officials and his friends and family, Sons was welcomed in a speech by City Administrator Jason Quick.

Quick thanked everyone for coming to celebrate Sons.

“It’s a great day for the city of Tullahoma,” he said.

Mayor Ray Knowis also addressed the crowd.

“I want to tell you what a wonderful opportunity we have for this man to serve Tullahoma,” said Knowis.

He congratulated Sons and told him he was proud to have him serve as chief, not just interim chief.

City Judge Jim Conley was then invited to swear Sons in, where Sons swore to “faithfully, truly, and personally” serve the city without partiality to “the best of his skill and ability.”

Quick then presented Sons with his official police chief badge.

“I cannot think of a better man to lead this police department,” he said.

Sons thanked everyone for joining him to celebrate with him. He talked about how exciting it was for him to get his first badge, and how “you don’t realize at that moment, how much that shiny piece of metal actually weighs, and the immense responsibility that comes with it.”

“I stand before you today to let you know that I know what this badge means,” said Sons. “I know the responsibility that comes along with it, and my badge will be a direct reflection of what it means to be a Tullahoma police officer.”

Quick, in a statement, said the process to hire a chief was very detailed and extensive.

“We were able to attract a lot of quality candidates,” said Quick.

He added Sons scored the highest score out of all three parts of the hiring process amongst other strong law enforcement professionals.

One of the Tullahoma police officers, Jackson Cantrell, said that Sons’ new position as the police chief was great.

“I think it’s exciting,” Cantrell said. “We’re happy to see how things unfold, and he’s already gotten a lot accomplished. We’re continuing down that path, so we’re ready to see where it goes.”

In a statement to The News, Sons said he hopes to continue to strengthen the relationship between the Tullahoma Police Department and the community, as well as the surrounding agencies the police department works alongside with.

“I also want to provide our officers with the most up to date training available in order to provide our citizens with the highest level of service,” Sons said. “I want this community to be confident that the officers serving them do so with integrity, professionalism, and a desire to make this community safer for the citizens and their families.”