AUSTIN, Texas —
Austin has narrowed down the search for its next chief of police to two people.
More than 30 candidates submitted their applications to take over the Austin Police Department (APD) with only one of them being a current APD employee.
Who are the finalists?
Officials will pick between Jeffrey Norman, the current Chief of Police in Milwaukee, and Lisa Davis, the Assistant Police Chief in Cincinnati, as APD's next leader. Norman would be Austin's first Black chief and Davis would be the city's second female chief.
Mosaic Public Partners is the group leading the search and was tasked with narrowing the list to the top candidates who qualify. Interim Chief Robin Henderson did not apply for the position and announced she would retire instead.
Norman joined the Milwaukee Police Department in 1996. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Norman became the department's chief in November 2021 after serving as the interim chief for nearly a year. The Milwaukee native is the city's 22nd police chief.
Meanwhile, Davis is a U.S. Navy veteran who joined the Cincinnati Police Department in 1992. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Davis rose through the ranks before becoming a finalist for chief in 2022. She was also a finalist to be the police chief in Toledo, Ohio, last year.
What were the criteria?
Austin's next police chief will report to an assistant city manager and be responsible for the department's day-to-day operations, including policies and procedures. It also includes a chief of staff and five assistant chiefs of police.
Candidates needed at least a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, public or business administration, or a related field. They must also have at least 10 years of "progressively responsible work in police administration," with at least five years as a "bona fide law enforcement officer."
The city was also looking for those with direct experience as a police chief in a large city with "issues that are similarly complex to those in Austin."