Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Monday morning he picked Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis to lead the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Davis is now the Police Chief of Durham, North Carolina. She is that department’s first Black female chief. Prior to her appointment as chief in Durham, Davis served as the Deputy Chief of Police for the Atlanta Police Department.
“She’s the right person to lead this department here in Memphis,” Strickland said in a YouTube video (above). “She has an outstanding career in law enforcement as an office and as a leader.
“She has a strategic vision for reducing violent crime and she has a record of building relationships with the communities she serves,” Strickland continued.
Davis’ appointment to the job will be secured with a vote by the Memphis City Council.
