Memphis Mayor Paul Young defended his embattled police chief Tuesday, Jan. 9, saying he still stands behind chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis and will work to get the votes she needs to be reappointed in two weeks. 

In an interview with The Daily Memphian Tuesday evening, Young continued to project confidence in Davis and in her path to reappointment. 

In a nonbinding vote Tuesday, the Memphis City Council voted 7-6 against reappointing Davis. That vote — which occurred during a committee hearing — is a political litmus test and will be followed by a real vote at the council’s Jan. 23 meeting. 

MPD chief loses council test vote on reappointment

Young said he was disappointed with the vote on Davis. 

“But I know that we have another vote coming up in two weeks. We’ll continue the dialogues with our council members and the community, and we believe that support will be there,” Young said. 

Before the vote Tuesday, members of the City Council expressed concern with what some felt was Davis’ lack of vision for the department. Other members told her that the rank-and-file of the department did not like her. 

In response, Davis said some in the department lacked discipline. 

“They’re not used to various policies and procedures that can take our department to a higher level,” she said. “Change is uncomfortable to them.”

Young said he felt that the force fell into two camps — one that liked Davis and another that did not. 

Police chief tops list of mayoral appointments coming before City Council

“I think that there are people in the rank-and-file that like Chief Davis and [those in] the rank-and-file that may have counter opinions, and I think that is a part of leadership,” Young said. “What is most important is for Chief Davis and myself and the administration to be able to gain the confidence of all of our teams and I am confident that she will be able to do that.”

Davis faced probing questions Tuesday that asked about department policy, whether the department was following ordinances passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death at the hands of now-former SCORPION Unit officers and how she felt about the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing civil rights investigation. 

Davis said the investigation could reveal policies that were put in place before she came to Memphis in 2021. She also said she was enforcing the ordinances passed after Nichols’ death, which former Mayor Jim Strickland said the city had not enforced. 

She also disputed her role in the founding of the SCORPION Unit, which Strickland touted in a January 2022 newsletter. He said in the newsletter that she created it. 

“That was an opportunity, I guess, for the previous administration to make some talking points,” she said. 

Young said he did not feel her answers were “passing the buck.” 

“I don’t see it as passing the buck. I think it’s giving context to questions that have many layers to them. And I think context is important,” he said. “It’s important to note that, you know, some of the things that were being discussed didn’t just start when she arrived, and I think that was her ultimate point.”

‘I’m on the fence:’ City Council mixed on keeping police chief

He declined to say who created the SCORPION Unit, noting the various lawsuits the city is facing. 

“This is all prior to me being in office,” Young said. “Given that there are so many legal issues around it, I would prefer not to even address that.”

The mayor acknowledged there may come a point where it is clear that Davis does not have the support of the 2,000-officer department. 

“I‘m sure that there is a point that exists where it’s clear that we don’t have the support of the troops. I don’t think we’re there. And if we get there, then that’s a bridge that we will cross at that point,” Young said. 

He said he would spend the next two weeks looking to gain Davis the support she needs, which, as of Tuesday, was just one more vote. 

“My goal is to ensure that the community and our council members know the body of work that she gave us has already done and all of the great things that she has planned for our community,” Young said. “And we have to be able to address their concerns and through some direct dialogue, we think that through some more conversation, she will be able to address their concerns.” 

Asked what would happen if the vote went against Davis and his administration in two weeks, Young said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”