[Austin APD Chief Swearing-In Ceremony]
[00:00:06]
WHY DON'T WE GET STARTED? GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
I AM CITY MANAGER OF TC BROAD NEXT, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THE OATH OF OFFICE CEREMONY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S 11TH POLICE CHIEF LISA DAVIS.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO PLEASE STAND AS THE A PD HONOR GUARD PIPE AND DRUM CORPS, PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION OF COLORS, FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, SUNG BY SEBASTIAN OLAVE, A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS TEAM.
AND PLEASE REMAIN STANDING AS A PD CHAPLAIN.
MARCO CASTILE WILL ADMINISTER PRAYER, RIGHT? THE DETAIL OH SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWNS OR THE LIGHT WHAT SO PROUD GLEE WHO BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE PAIR FOR THE, OR THE STREAMING AND IT'S RED, THE BALLS BURST IN AIR THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OF BLACK WAS STILL HOLDING.
[00:05:06]
OR THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE DETAIL ORDER? ARMS, FOOTWORK.LET'S BOW OUR HEADS AND PRAY HAVING A FATHER ON THIS DAY BEFORE EVERYTHING, I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN US.
WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY POLICE OFFICER THAT SERVES OUR CITY BY PROTECTING US SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE SAFELY AND PEACEFULLY OPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MINDS AND HELP US TO BE BETTER EACH DAY SO THAT WE MIGHT BE A BLESSING FOR, FOR OTHERS.
ON THIS SPECIAL DAY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE.
I ASK THAT YOU GROUND HER WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
GOD, PLEASE BLESS HER ON THIS NEW JOURNEY THAT SHE'S ABOUT TO BEGIN.
HELP HER UPHOLD THE LAW AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HELP HER TO BRING ORDER AND PEACE TO THE CITY OF OUS.
GRANT HER TO GRACE SO THAT SHE MAY DO HER JOB WELL.
SURROUND HER WITH WISE PEOPLE SO THAT WHEN SHE SEEKS ADVICE, THEY WILL GUIDE HER WISELY.
MY GOD, I ASK YOU THAT WHEN SHE HAS TO MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION, THAT SHE MAY SEEK YOU IN PRAYER TO PROCEED CORRECTLY, MAKE HER STRONG AND COURAGEOUS IN HER DAILY DUTIES.
FOR YOU ARE WITH HER AT ALL THE TIMES.
MY GOD, PLEASE LET THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE GREAT RESPONSIBILITY OF HER JOB SO THEY MIGHT KEEP HER IN THEIR PRAYERS.
YOUR WORTH IS FAITHFUL AND IT SAYS YOU ARE GOOD.
AND YOUR PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM A ABOVE.
HELP HER SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY SO THAT SHE MIGHT REST IN YOU.
FEEL SECURITY IN YOUR WORTH AND FIND REFUGE OF LOVE IN YOU WHEN SHE'S TIRED.
THANK YOU FOR HER LIFE AND THE SERVICE SHE'S GOING TO PROVIDE TO OUR CITY.
WE BLESS THIS TIME AND PUT EVERYTHING IN YOUR HANDS IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
SO AS WE'RE HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE, OH, YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT.
AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF LISA DAVIS IS THE SECOND WOMAN IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY TO SERVE AS PERMANENT CHIEF OF POLICE.
HER CAREER SPANS MORE THAN THREE DECADES WITH THE CINCINNATI POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE SHE SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT CHIEF, EXCUSE ME, AS SHE SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER INVE, UH, INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU, AS WELL AS THE COMMANDER, WHICH OVERSEES HOMICIDE, MAJOR OFFENDERS, NARCOTICS, AND PERSONAL CRIMES.
THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, SHE SERVED IN MULTIPLE ROLES, SPECIALIZING IN BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, USED PROBLEM SOLVING AND EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING TO ADDRESS CRIME AND DISORDER.
IN CINCINNATI, SHE CREATED A CITYWIDE PROBLEM SOLVING UNIT TRAINED TO ADDRESS CRIME AND DISORDER IN CHRONICALLY VIOLENT LOCATIONS, REDUCING OVERALL CRIME, AND INCREASING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
CHIEF DAVIDS IS PASSIONATE ABOUT COMMUNITY POLICING AND BUILDING POLICE LEGITIMACY THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS BY DEVELOPING A SPECIALIZED UNIT, SHE ADDRESSED THE AT-RISK POPULATION VICTIMIZATION THAT INCLUDES THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, LATINO AND HISPANIC COMMUNITY, HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS AND YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM XAVIER UNIVERSITY, CHIEF DAVIS HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL AWARDS FOR HER WORK, INCLUDING SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE AWARD OF VALOR.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE CHIEF DAVIS BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MAYOR WATSON UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
[00:10:01]
MANAGER BOB BROAD.UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR YOU.
UM, AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE JOINED US TODAY.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT ARE WITH US TODAY.
OUR MAYOR PRO TIM LESLIE POOLE IS WITH US COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHITO VELA.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE, ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS AT THE VERY BEGINNING TO YOU CHIEF.
UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU LEAD THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT INTO OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, I THINK REALLY FEELS IT THAT THERE'S A PROFOUND CHANGE HAPPENING IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE ARE SO CLOSE TO RECAPTURING STABILITY AND WE SENSE THAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS HELPING.
IT'S HELPING US TO BE SAFE, AND IT'S HELPING OUR COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE.
WE'RE ABLE TO IMAGINE OUR POSITIVE FUTURE IN A WAY THAT WE SIMPLY HAVEN'T IN THE FAIRLY RECENT PAST IN 2023, WHEN I SPOKE AT THE POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATION CEREMONY, I CHALLENGED OUR CADETS AT THAT TIME TO BE THE NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS WHO SEE POLICING AS IT CAN BE.
AND AS IT MUST BE AS WE GO INTO THE FUTURE.
CHIEF DAVIS, WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO BE THE LEADER THAT CAN AND WILL HELP ALL OF OUR POLICE FORCE BE TRUE PUBLIC SERVANTS BY BUILDING COMMUNITY, FAITH AND TRUST THROUGH RESPECT, RESPONSIVENESS, AND OPEN COMMUNICATION.
AND WHILE WE COUNT ON YOU, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ARE THE LEADER WE NEED TO MOVE US FORWARD AND TO MAKE CONTINUED POSITIVE PROGRESS ON THE VARIETY OF MATTERS THAT WE ALL PASSIONATELY REFER TO AS PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE EFFECT THAT THAT HAS ON THE QUALITY OF LIVES OF ALL AUSTINITES.
THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF THINGS IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE GREAT CHALLENGES, EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES, AND THERE ARE EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES FOR THIS TREMENDOUS PLACE WE LOVE AS OUR HOME.
AND AS YOU COME IN TO BE OUR NEW CHIEF, I'M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU.
I'M HAPPY FOR ALL OF US THAT YOU ARE HERE.
GOD BLESS YOU AND GREAT, GOOD LUCK.
NOW FOR THE TIME WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, WE WILL BEGIN THE PINNING OF THE BADGE FOR CHIEF DAVIS.
JOINING CHIEF DAVIS WILL BE HER HUSBAND, ERIC DAVIS, WHO WILL PERFORM THE PINNING CHIEF DAVIS.
AND ERIC, CAN YOU PLEASE JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM? JOINING CHIEF DAVIS, UH, IS THEIR FAMILY, HER MOTHER-IN-LAW, REBECCA, SISTER SHERRY, AND COUSIN SONYA, AS WELL AS THEIR CHILDREN, FOUR CHILDREN, CHEYENNE, HALEY, LOGAN, AND JACOB THE CHIEF.
ERIC AND THE CHIEF HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
AND SO ONE THAT DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE,
AND SO NOW YOU ARE FREE TO PIN THE BADGE.
ERIC, ANYONE HAVE READERS NEXT? YES, YOU SHOULD.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT PRESIDING JUDGE SHERRY STATMAN, WHO WILL ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
I, LISA DAVIS, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR I LISA DAVIS, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE, OF THE OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION
[00:15:01]
AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY REMARKS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A MONTH I'VE BEEN HERE, BUT I DID WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR, I BELIEVE IS THIS, MY FIFTH WEEK.
STARTED MY FIFTH WEEK AND IT HAS BEEN FIVE VERY FULL WEEKS.
UM, BUT THE FIRST IS TO CITY MANAGER BRANICK.
IT IS AN HONOR TO WORK FOR YOU, HONESTLY, ONE OF THE BEST CITY MANAGERS, UM, OR IF THE BEST CITY MANAGER IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO I FEEL VERY HONORED TO WORK FOR YOU, WITH YOU BESIDE YOU OF ALL THAT, UM, TO DCM FORTUNE, WHO HAS BEEN, UM, A CONSTANT PHONE COMPANION.
UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, THE KNOWLEDGE AND JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE AND ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS I HAVE AND, AND ALWAYS BEING WILLING TO TAKE A CALL FOR SURE.
UM, TO MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND WHO LEFT A JOB TO COME HERE WITH ME.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU'VE ALWAYS GIVEN ME AND MY FAMILY.
MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, MY SON'S IN LAW SCHOOL AND HE HAD TO GO BACK TO COLUMBUS, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK HE ONLY CAME TO GO TO ACL BUT IT'S, WE'LL TAKE WHAT WE GET, RIGHT? WE'LL TAKE WHAT WE CAN GET.
AND THAT'S MY SISTER SHERRY, WHO I LOVE.
AND MY BEST FRIEND, MY LOVELY MOTHER-IN-LAW, WHO IS TRULY LOVELY.
I DO LOVE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND MY, AND MY BEST COUSIN SONYA.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, MAKING THE TRIP, TAKING TIME.
I APPRECIATE AND I LOVE YOU ALL.
AND MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU AND JUST YOUR PASSION FOR THIS CITY, UM, IT REALLY RESONATES WITH ME.
AND I THINK WE ARE, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME GREAT THINGS DONE HERE AND FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ALLISON, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE LEAVING IN JANUARY, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU MORE ABOUT THINGS GOING ON AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND, UM, PAIGE, I MEAN, MEETING YOU, YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL VERY LOVELY AND VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THE POLICE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND GET DONE.
UM, MACKENZIE BROUGHT HER DAUGHTER, REBECCA HERE, WANTED TO SEE THIS.
SO I THINK REBECCA, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, RIGHT? JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU ARE SUPERB.
AND I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH YOU, AND WE HAVE WORK TO DO, THERE'S NO DOUBT.
UM, BUT IT'S ONLY MOVING FORWARD.
THERE IS SOME FANTASTIC THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, COMING FROM THE NORTH THAT I'M NOT SURE PEOPLE REALIZE THAT ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GOING HERE.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE IN AUSTIN THAT ISN'T BEING DONE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WE NEED TO START HIGHLIGHTING THAT AND TALKING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WHILE RECOGNIZING WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND THERE'S CHANGE THAT WE CAN MAKE TO ALWAYS BE BETTER, TO ALWAYS IMPROVE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF THAT.
UM, TO ROBIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, ROBIN, HERE YOU ARE.
THANK YOU HONESTLY FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP HERE AND JUST THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
I MEAN, CRIME WAS COMING DOWN.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
I APPRECIATE YOU, I APPRECIATE YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND JUST, JUST HOW WELCOMING YOU'VE BEEN AND HELPFUL YOU'VE BEEN TO ME.
ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR NEWLY MINUTE CHIEF.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, IT WAS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SELECT YOU AS OUR NEXT CHIEF.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD ONE TO WATCHING YOU WORK FOR A LONG, WONDERFUL CAREER HERE, SUPPORTING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THIS FINE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU AS OUR CHIEF, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU.
THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING TODAY.
THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL EVENT, UH, OF HIGH ESTEEM AND GREAT HONOR TODAY.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THE FORMAL PARTS OF OUR CEREMONY TODAY.
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK, UH, AND MAKE SURE YOU FIND TIME TO THANK THE CHIEF BEFORE YOU LEAVE.