AUSTIN, Texas — City Manager T.C. Broadnax has made his pick for the next chief of the Austin Police Department (APD).
On Friday, the city announced Broadnax has selected Lisa Davis, assistant chief for the Cincinnati Police Department, as Austin's next chief. The appointment still requires approval from the city council, and Mayor Kirk Watson has called a special meeting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss and likely confirm Davis.
If approved, Davis would be the second woman police chief in Austin's history. Elizabeth Watson served as APD's chief from 1992 to 1997.
"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 said in a statement Friday morning.
“Collaboration and trust are the foundation of my approach to public safety,” Davis said. “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.”
Broadnax made his decision following several rounds of interviews with Davis and the other finalist – Jeffrey B. Norman, chief of the Milwaukee Police Department – including community panels. Davis and Norman also recently took questions from the media and participated in a public meet-and-greet where they answered Austinites' questions.
Who is Lisa Davis?
Davis has worked for the Cincinnati Police Department for more than three decades. She currently serves as Assistant Chief and Investigations Bureau Commander, a position that oversees homicide, major offenders, narcotics and personal crimes.
According to the city of Austin, Davis has served in multiple roles throughout her career and has "specialized in building community relationships and using problem-solving and evidence-based policing to address crime and disorder." In Cincinnati, she created a citywide problem-solving unit trained to address "crime and disorder in chronically violent locations," resulting in a reduction in overall crime and an increase in the quality of life for local residents.
Davis also developed a specialized unit to address at-risk population victimization, including Cincinnati's Latino/Hispanic community, LGBTQ+ community, homeless youth and human trafficking victims.
She has received multiple awards throughout her career, including the Superior Achievement in Law Enforcement and the Award of Valor. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University.
Davis's vision for Austin
In July, Davis participated in meet-and-greet events with local media and community members. When asked what her first 100 days on the job would look like, she said the first thing she would need to do is start building trust.
"That’s done by listening, being on the ground," Davis said. "I’m not someone that sits in an office."
Many Austinites have expressed frustration over APD not showing up for certain crimes – something department officials blame on short staffing. Davis also shared her thoughts on those issues.
“I think it’s just about where people are located, how they’re dispatched and what those calls for service are and prioritizing,” Davis said.
APD is short about 330 sworn officers based on the department's current staffing allotment, and there is still no long-term contract between the Austin Police Association (APA) and the city. APA President Michael Bullock said officers are "beat down."
"Unfortunately, the position we're in is that – for the last six years, in particular – have been extremely difficult. And so, it's been a very tumultuous time," Bullock said.
With Davis picked for the job, Bullock is looking at this as an "era of opportunity."
"Hopefully, this is a sign of things changing, changing for the better," Bullock said.
Chas Moore is the founder of the Austin Justice Coalition and is looking for more accountability and transparency from law enforcement. He recently spoke with Davis.
"I told her that here in Austin, we're having many conversations around alternatives to police, which means we need resources for these alternatives. And she said, you know, 'I'm with you. I get that,'" Moore said. "To have a police chief come in and talk that way was something that was different for me. And, you know, hopefully, she lives up to that."
Bullock acknowledges Davis's role will have a direct impact on whether officers stay or leave and whether they can recruit.
"You have to prioritize the officers that we have now. Otherwise, we're never going to be able to recruit new people to really come here en masse like what we need," Bullock said. "This is not the time where we can afford failure."