AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council unanimously confirmed Lisa Davis as the city’s next police chief during a special meeting Tuesday.
Davis has spent more than 30 years with the Cincinnati Police Department, most recently as an assistant chief.
The council’s vote came four days after City Manager T.C. Broadnax named Davis his top choice.
The selection process included 32 applicants and several rounds of interviews with Davis and the other finalist, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. Davis will become the second woman in Austin police history to serve as a permanent police chief.
Mayor Kirk Watson thanked Interim Chief Robin Henderson for serving in that role since August 2023, along with her 26 years of service with the department. Watson also thanked Broadnax for prioritizing this decision.
Davis told the council her first 100 days will focus on listening and learning to address challenges like staffing and recruitment.
“Anything I implement, any strategy that is implemented, will be done through the lens that it has to be effective," Davis said. "It has to be equitable, and it has to be ethical. And it all starts with building and gaining that trust we talked about."
After the meeting, Broadnax said he’s still finalizing Davis’ start date, but said it will be in “early September, after Labor Day."
Davis plans to attend a command staff meeting on Wednesday to start getting to know officers. She said Henderson will help her with the transition.