MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Officials welcomed the first woman to lead the police department in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday as she began her first day on the job.
“I was proud to participate in the pinning ceremony this morning of our new Police Chief C.J. Davis,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland tweeted.
The police department also tweeted “Welcome aboard Chief Cerleyn CJ Davis!”
City officials voted last month to appoint Davis as chief of the Memphis Police Department. Davis replaces Michael Rallings, who retired.
A former member of the police department in Atlanta, Davis had served as police chief in Durham, North Carolina, since 2016. Davis was the selection of Strickland, who said she stood out due to her leadership experience in Atlanta and Durham.
Davis takes over leadership of a Memphis police force that saw a record number of homicides last year, with more than 320.