Austin police chief Lisa Davis officially sworn in
AUSTIN, Texas - The new Austin Police Department chief has officially been sworn in. Lisa Davis comes from the Cincinnati Police Department where she spent more than three decades. She is now only the second woman in Austin’s history to serve as the permanent chief of police.
On Monday, the city held a swearing in and pinning ceremony for the new Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, although her official day on the job was in early September.
"It has been five very full weeks," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said.
Shortly after Chief Davis assumed the top position, the City of Austin hired Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia as an assistant manager overseeing public safety.
"He's been there, he knows, and so to be able to go advocate for us to the city government, that, ‘hey, this is what they need,’ and so I think I look at that as just another great thing for me. I mean, it's an opportunity for us to truly move things forward," Chief Davis said.
Chief Davis came into a department that continues to deal with a staffing shortage. It’s allotted about 1,800 positions, but more than 300 are currently vacant.
"For context, Cincinnati has 305,000 people, where I come from, and it has 1,100 cops and Austin has almost a million people and has 1,800, so there is some work to do on getting recruiting here and this contract will help," Chief Davis said.
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The contract includes across the board pay raises for Austin police officers. It’s set to be voted on by city council next week.
Earlier this month, a Travis County jury found Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor guilty of deadly conduct in the 2019 death of Mauris DeSilva.
"It's unsettling to the officers, is unsettling to the community. It's a big deal to them, and they want to hear that support, and they want to hear, you know, how do we move beyond that?" Chief Davis said.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza is known for strict prosecution of police. Chief Davis said she has met with him and plans to do so every month.
"At the end of the day, are we going to agree on everything? Absolutely not. I mean, it's not going to happen, but we are both state actors. We both work for the state, and we have to come to the table together, and we have to have conversations, and I'll know where he's coming from, he's going to know where I'm coming from. But it's about building that relationship," Chief Davis said.
She said working together with leadership is key to solving problems within the city.
"Chief Davis, we're counting on you to be the leader that can and will help all of our police force be true public servants by building community, faith and trust through respect, responsiveness, and open communication," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said.
"This isn't on my shoulders alone; this is on everybody. Crime is everybody's problem," Chief Davis said.
Chief Davis said she plans to release her 100-day plan soon. She said it will include strategies to reduce crime in the city.