DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis is leaving the position to take a similar job in Memphis, Tennessee, officials have announced.
The City of Memphis announced the move on Monday, news outlets reported.
Durham City Manager Wanda Page said Davis, who had been chief of police in Durham for five years, informed her on Sunday that her last day in Durham would be June 11. Page said an interim chief would be named in the coming days.
Davis has been Durham’s police chief since June 2016, when she took over for Jose Lopez.
Davis leaves as the City of Durham is coming off a record year for gun violence. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports statistics show 318 people were shot in Durham in 2020, a nearly 70% increase over the 189 people shot in 2019, and the most since at least 2016, when the department began tracking the data.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Davis stood out due to her leadership experience in Atlanta and Durham. The Memphis City Council will have to approve the selection.
With Davis’ departure, both Durham and Raleigh will be searching for a new police chief. Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown is retiring June 30.
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