Austin leaders react to naming of new police chief

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin is moving forward with the hiring of its next police chief. Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax tapped Lisa Davis for the job.

"The first thing I have to do is start building trust, and that means trust with city administration and trust with the officers and the professional staff within the APD, trust within the community, trust with the media, all of those things. And that's done by listening, being on the ground," said Davis in a press conference in July.

Soon, Davis may be acting on those words.

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"This hire is the most important hire in the last 25 years in Austin of any city position because of how critical this moment is for APD," said Matt Mackowiak, co-founder of Save Austin Now, which advocates for police. "The City of Austin had to get this choice right, and they did. So, we are ecstatic."

Lisa Davis

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax chose Davis over Jeffrey Norman, another candidate from Milwaukee.

"The Chief of Police is a critical position for any city and, as I’ve said since joining the City of Austin in early May, identifying a permanent police chief was a top priority for me," said Broadnax. "I appreciate the invaluable feedback I’ve received, which has helped inform my decision. I have elected to move Chief Davis forward for confirmation by the City Council as she has a stellar record in her extensive career in law enforcement, and I am confident that she will earn the trust and confidence of our Austin Police officers and our community."

Davis currently serves as the assistant chief of the Cincinnati Police Department, and the Investigations Bureau Commander, which oversees major offenders, homicides, and narcotics.

She's worked there for more than 30 years.

"Look, the Austin Police Department is in crisis," said Mackowiak. "It has never been in a worse position than it is today as we sit here."

Mackowiak hopes her experience will be helpful when it comes to solving a major staffing shortage at APD.

"We had roughly four hundred fewer police officers than we had three years ago," said Mackowiak. 

He also pointed to a need to re-think union contracts, get 911 response times down, and create a safer Austin.

She includes that on her resume with a special unit in Cincinnati to address areas with higher rates of violent crime.

"In spite of all of this, the city manager made an outstanding choice," said Mackowiak. "Lisa Davis has a sterling record of reputation. She's never had a misconduct complaint in her entire career."

After Friday's announcement, Davis shared that she is eager to get started.

"Collaboration and trust are the foundation of my approach to public safety," said Davis. "I am honored to be selected as Austin’s Chief of Police and I can’t wait to begin building relationships with our officers, city leaders, and community members so we can work together to ensure Austin is a safe and welcoming place for everyone."

Michael Bullock, the president of the Austin Police Association, also sent FOX 7 Austin the following statement:

"It’s been a tough process to get to this point. I’m grateful to City Manager Broadnax for being diligent and his efforts to find a chief who will best serve current APD officers and the community they then serve. I’m looking forward to working with Chief Davis as she transitions and helping focus on retaining the officers we still have. Ultimately I’m incredibly thankful for Chief Henderson and her leadership. Her leaving will be a noted void within our department that won’t be easy to fill But she’ll be leaving a lasting legacy at APD and we wish her nothing but the best."

Chief Henderson plans to retire once a new chief is hired and transitioned into the role.

The Austin City Council will vote on Davis’ approval on Tuesday, August 6, at 1 p.m. After that, it will be up to the contract she signs about when she will start as chief.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson did not want to comment on the announcement until he votes on Tuesday.