The backstory of Mayor Paul Young’s last-minute appointment of Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis to remain as interim police chief: He acted preemptively to stave off a council resolution that would have mandated a similar outcome.
The council resolution, prepared by member Jeff Warren, called for a five-month pause during which the council would measure Davis’ performance in office according to a scale of “metrics,” the nature of which had yet to be devised.
Reportedly, eight council members had committed to the resolution, more than enough for passage.
Confronted with the fact of the resolution’s imminent introduction on Tuesday, Mayor Young made the impromptu decision, with minutes to spare, to make the interim appointment of Davis.
It is understood that the council still has authority to assert its will on Davis’ tenure and, in reaching an ultimate judgment, will avail itself of the aforementioned package of still-to-be-arrived-at metrics. The council will vote again on Davis’ status in June, as called for in the resolution.
The resolution read as follows:
WHEREAS, in the wake of a new Administration, the Memphis City Council received presentations from Mayor Young’s prospective appointees to head each division of the City of Memphis; and
WHEREAS, in anticipation of the vote to reappoint Police Services Chief Davis, the Council has received numerous messages from its constituents, expressing their concerns about the state of crime in Memphis, and the need for effective leadership to reduce it; and
WHEREAS, the Council recognizes that the City of Memphis’s public safety is of the utmost importance, and, as such, understands the importance of appointing or reappointing the individual who will be tasked with ensuring the safety of our communities; and
WHEREAS, during the January 9th Council meeting, both Council Members and Chief Davis shed light on some internal issues amongst Police Services, in addition to external issues that have contributed to an increase in crime in our city; and
WHEREAS, to address these issues, it is the intent of the Council to gather further data as to the effectiveness of Chief Davis, and to determine the needs of the Memphis Police Department that will best aid them in their goal to reduce crime before voting on Chief Davis reappointment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Memphis City Council hereby postpones the vote on the reappointment of MPD Chief C.J. Davis until the second Council meeting in June of 2024. In the interim, the Chairman of the Memphis City Council shall appoint a Council Member to confer with the Administration and other stakeholders to compile a list of expectations and metrics for the next 5 months to assess Chief Davis’ ability to address internal MPD issues and to reduce crime: these expectations and metrics shall be shared with the Members of the Memphis City Council and the public in advance of the reappointment.
Sponsor:
Dr. Jeff Warren