(The Center Square) – Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore has announced his resignation, effective Feb. 3, from the force and is moving away from law enforcement altogether.
Moore submitted his resignation to City Manager Elizabeth Pauli on Tuesday, saying that he is moving on to the next chapter of his life after working in law enforcement for 35 years.
Moore did not provide any more details for his decision to step down from the role after serving as the leader of the Tacoma Police Department since being appointed in December 2021 after previously working for the Dallas Police Department as the assistant chief of police for the investigations bureau.
“During my time in Tacoma, I focused on key goals that were close to my heart: reducing overall crime, fostering trust and legitimacy within the community, and strengthening engagement with the people we are sworn to serve and protect,” Moore said in his resignation letter.
He went on to say, “While I am stepping away from law enforcement, my commitment to this community and its success will remain steadfast.”
Overall crime statistics in the city decreased in the past year. According to the Tacoma police crime dashboard, there was an 18% drop in overall crime from 30,624 reported offenses in 2023 to 25,076 in 2024.
So far in 2025, crime rates are increasingly improving with crime offenses from Jan. 1 through Jan. 29 decreasing 44% over the same date range in 2024.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards agreed with the statistics in showing Moore’s impact on the city.
“The news of Chief Moore’s resignation was a difficult one,” Woodards said in a statement sent to The Center Square via email. “I had the opportunity to confirm the chief, and to work closely with the chief, and I think Tacoma is a better place because he chose to work here.”
Moore’s tenure as Tacoma police chief has not been without controversy. In September, Moore was placed on administrative leave for allegedly using a city asset for personal use. It was later revealed by other news outlets that Moore was using his city-issued cell phone while on vacation.
The city manager will appoint an interim chief while the search for a new chief is underway. Deputy Chief Paul Junger is the acting chief.