Memphis Mayor Paul Young is doubling down on his commitment to Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis, with plans to push for her permanent appointment post-budget season, his office confirmed to Action News 5. Davis took over as interim police chief in January, and ever since, the city's handling of crime and her leadership have been hot-button topics among residents and city council.
Despite the mayor's intent, the reappointment is not guaranteed and would require City Council approval, which is to decidedly bring back and vote on the issue after it was tabled earlier this year, according to a city spokesperson cited by FOX13. Scrutiny over Chief Davis intensified following the high-profile beating death of Tyre Nichols and the surging violent crime rates under her watch.
Memphis ended 2023 with record-breaking numbers in property crime and logged 399 homicides, a statistic not lost on City Council members like Jerri Green. “The tragedy that happened in Orange Mound, how many arrests have been made? Because there’s tons of video out there. We’re still continuing to ask those questions because we want to make sure, budgeting is about public trust. It’s not just about allocating the dollars, it’s: What are the results?” Green questioned in a statement to Action News 5.
The police department, still under Davis' interim command, is seeking a $307 million budget to ostensibly hire more recruits and cut down on violent and property crime. Yet, City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr. has voiced concerns, stating a need to have several conversations about the effectiveness of the city's strategies to curb crime. His comments, along with those from the community, reflect the tension and uncertainty that hangs over Davis' prospective reappointment.“Restaurants are getting vandalized, cars. You can’t even go out, because it’s always something, right?” said Memphian Sarah Kizzie in an interview with Action News 5. “At some point, we just have to do better for the greater of Memphis and for everyone.”
Despite the divided council's previous vote where 7 of 13 members voted no on reappointing Davis, Mayor Young has not backed down. In January, he expressed unwavering support for Davis and his aspirations to resolve the chaos incurred by crime in the city. According to a meeting covered by WREG, Young said, “We are in a crisis right now. Not just the reality of crime but the perception of crime. My goal is to resolve the chaos,” adding, “My support for Chief Davis has not wavered — we’re going to use this time to show and prove.”
