Lisa Davis tapped to be new Austin Chief of Police
AUSTIN, Texas - Lisa Davis has been selected by the Austin City Manager to be the next Austin Chief of Police. Davis currently serves as assistant chief with the Cincinnati, Ohio Police Department.
The next step is approval by the Austin City Council and a special-called meeting has been called for Tuesday, August 6 at 1 p.m.
If approved, Davis will be the second woman in Austin's history to hold the permanent chief role.
MORE: City announces two finalists for Austin's chief of police
In a news release, Davis said, "Collaboration and trust are the foundation of my approach to public safety. 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."
"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," City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in the release.
"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," Broadnax added.
Who is Lisa Davis?
Davis’s career spans more than three decades with the Cincinnati Police Department. She has served in multiple roles and specialized in building community relationships and using problem-solving and evidence-based policing to address crime and disorder.
In Cincinnati, she created a city-wide problem-solving unit trained to address crime and disorder in chronically violent locations, reducing overall crime and increasing the quality of life for area residents.
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Davis is passionate about community policing and building police legitimacy through community partnerships. She developed a specialized unit to address at-risk population victimization that includes the LGBTQ community, Latino/Hispanic community, human trafficking victims and homeless youth.
Davis has received several awards for her work, including the Superior Achievement in Law Enforcement and the Award of Valor, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University.
Davis one of two police chief finalists
Davis was one of the two finalists for the job.
Jeffrey Norman was also in the running for APD chief. He has currently been the Chief of Police at the Milwaukee Police Department for the last four years, but has been with the department since 1996.
During his interview, he said this is a process he is taking seriously. If given the chief position, he said he would aim for a police contact with the city that will have a positive resolution on retention and also boost morale for the current APD officers.
He also said he would be the type of leader who thanks his officers every day and would utilize all tools available to make APD as efficient and effective as possible.
He also mentioned community engagement is his core. He planned to gain trust by being with the community and also being transparent.