The hunt for a new leader of the Austin Police Department (APD) is coming to a close, with only two contenders left standing. Assistant Chief Lisa Davis of the Cincinnati Police Department and Chief Jeffrey Norman of the Milwaukee Police Department have emerged as the prime candidates to serve as Austin's next police chief. Their selection was confirmed through an internal memo distributed to Austin's mayor and city council, as reported by KXAN.
Lisa Davis brings a significant tenure with her from Cincinnati, where she has been instrumental for roughly thirty years. Davis, who forged a specialized unit to tackle chronic violence and crime spots in Cincinnati, has a track record of trying to enhance quality of life by curbing crime rates. According to her LinkedIn profile, her initiatives have shown tangible declines in criminal activity. Interestingly, the assistant chief was also in the mix for top police positions in Toledo and Oakland, as various news outlets have pointed out.
Her competition, Jeffrey Norman, the current chief of Milwaukee's police force, has his own commendable police history dating back to 1996. Norman, as KXAN notes, fosters robust community engagement, an approach he believes is vital in policing. With the national attention drawn to Milwaukee amidst the recent RNC and the concerning assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Norman stepped into the limelight to address public safety and policing in such high-stress situations.
The appointee, selected by City Manager T.C. Broadnax and requiring Austin City Council approval, will inherit a department beleaguered by staffing challenges. According to the Austin American-Statesman, APD's ranks are thin, with about 340 vacancies and a budget for over 1,800 sworn officers. These numbers underscore the urgency and gravity of the hiring decision, especially considering that Austin's population dwarfs that of Cincinnati and Milwaukee, spotlighting the scale of the challenge ahead for the incoming chief.
The new chief will face the daunting, but crucial task of bolstering the depleting ranks of APD. Both Davis and Norman have contended with similar recruitment troubles in their respective departments, experiences that may prove useful in Austin's context. As per the Austin American-Statesman, the final decision will be delivered after Broadnax's recommendation and subsequent council approval, thus concluding a search that began earnestly after the previous chief, Joe Chacon, retired last September.
