MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A lot of people in Memphis, myself included, have been imploring Mayor Jim Strickland to be bold – and make a splash in naming a new police director. I believe he succeeded in naming Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis as his choice to succeed retired director Michael Rallings. Yes, it was bold to name someone outside the Memphis Police Department as the city’s top cop – something that has not happened since Memphis area native Buddy Chapman was picked in 1976. In fact, you have to go back to 1972 when the director position was first created and California native Jay Hubbard was appointed to the job.
Mayor Strickland also made a splash in selecting Davis as the first woman in the city’s history to lead the police department. And this being Memphis, you can bet there will be naysayers just because she is a woman and an outsider, but no one can dispute that she has the experience to do the job. She held a top position in the Atlanta police department and currently is police chief in Durham, North Carolina.
The key now is for Memphians to learn more about her philosophy on policing – and her ideas for making the department more responsive to community needs. Beyond all that, I just feel that MPD needs a fresh perspective. That’s no slight against former directors, but the time is now for a splash – of boldness.
And that’s my point of view, I’m Otis Sanford, for Local 23 News.