CALDWELL, Idaho — Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram announced his retirement from the department on Tuesday, raising questions about the future of the department and what comes next for the community.
Ingram was hired as Caldwell's police chief in 2022 after previously serving on the Los Angeles Police Department, according to his city biography.
In an email to his officers following his announcement, Ingram said, "Serving as your chief has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of every single one of you and the historic achievements that we have accomplished together over the past four years."
According to the Idaho State Police, overall crime in Caldwell fell more than 13% from 2024 to 2025.
Ingram's tenure was marked by a series of workplace complaints. In 2024, his former executive assistant filed a claim alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. The claim was later settled through the city's insurance provider. Ingram denied the allegations and maintained he did not engage in wrongdoing.
In 2025, former Caldwell Police Officer Allison Butler filed a federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, retaliation and a hostile work environment. Earlier this year, the city agreed to settle Butler's lawsuit for $1.5 million without admitting liability. Ingram again denied wrongdoing.
Tensions between Ingram and Mayor Eric Phillips became public last November when a personal voice memo from then Mayor-Elect Phillips surfaced. In the memo, Phillips discussed his intentions toward the city's police chief, stating he planned to "fire him."
Phillips later said the recording captured a private conversation made before taking office and went on to say he intended to "check all the boxes" to shield the city from litigation if he moved forward with firing Ingram.
Ingram released a statement in response to the voice memo, saying, "In my opinion, the voice memo made by the Caldwell Mayor-Elect Eric Phillips is troubling and speaks for itself."
Several months later, Ingram filed a notice of tort claim against the city of Caldwell, alleging political retaliation, harassment and defamation. The claim sought more than $500,000 in damages and cited the leaked recording among its allegations. The city denied those claims.
According to a letter to the department, Ingram's final day will be Sept. 1.
Following the announcement, Mayor Eric Phillips released a statement thanking Ingram for his service.
"On behalf of the City of Caldwell, we wish Chief Ingram all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his many years of dedicated service to the City of Caldwell," Phillips said. "We are grateful for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to serving the residents of Caldwell."
With Ingram's retirement, the city will begin the process of selecting new leadership for the Caldwell Police Department. We have reached out to Mayor Phillips for comment.
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