WELCOME MESSAGE

On behalf of the men and women of the Memphis Police Department, I want to welcome you to our website and thank you for taking the time to learn more about our agency.  As the Director of Police Services, I also want to thank Honorable Mayor Jim Strickland, the citizens of Memphis, and my fellow MPD officers for supporting me throughout my tenure. I’m truly honored to have the privilege of serving the community and the Memphis Police Department.

Here at MPD, our No. 1 priority is to provide public safety.  Our Department is committed to working with the community to combat crime by utilizing community policing, upholding the law, and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities.  I encourage you to browse our website and familiarize yourself with the various dimensions and opportunities available within the Memphis Police Department.  Additionally, you will find useful information about the MPD and the services we currently provide.  The dedicated professionals of Memphis PD proudly serve a population of over 650,000 citizens.  Our staff includes over two thousand full-time police officers, almost two hundred Police Reserve Officers, eighty-plus Police Service Technicians, and upwards of seven hundred thirty full-time and part-time civilian employees.

The members of the Memphis Police Department remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the best possible police services to citizens and visitors of Memphis.  We strive to respond to the community’s needs with the most effective measures available within our current resources, with the primary focus of ensuring the well-being of all citizens.

Again, I encourage you to browse through our website, which reaffirms our commitment to proactively and responsively addressing our community’s needs.  I also ask that you take the opportunity to see how you can get involved.  Law enforcement officers, citizens, faith-based organizations, and stakeholders must collectively work together to guarantee that the City of Memphis continues to thrive and be the great city that we all know and love.  Check out how MPD effectively delivers community policing initiatives, join your local Neighborhood and Business Watch Association, find out more information on your respective police station, and learn how to join the MPD; you will see for yourself what MPD is all about.

Know that we are here for you.

If you have an interest in serving the Memphis community, we are always looking for quality individuals.  We have ongoing recruiting and hiring opportunities for both sworn and professional positions within our department.  Memphis PD provides an exceptional learning environment, a stable and rewarding career, and the chance to make a difference in your community and the lives of others. Learn more about joining MPD at joinmpd.com.

Thank you for supporting the Memphis Police Department!

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has over 35 years of experience in the law enforcement profession. Being focused on holistic interagency wraparound services and transformational policing for crime reduction, Davis’ research-driven work is strongly influenced by the practical application of the latest tools in technology, predictive policing, leadership development, and all-important community engagement.

She began her career with the City of Atlanta Police Department where she learned the importance of forging relationships with Atlanta’s diverse community.  She was assigned to a variety of specialized assignments as a young patrol officer and quickly moved through the ranks working as an Investigator in Licenses & Permits, supervisor in Background & Recruitment, Special Victims, Executive Officer to the Chief, Public Affairs, Homeland Security & Organized Crime.  As a Commander, she led the Special Operations Section, which included SWAT, Mounted Patrol, Motors, Helicopter Unit, Vice & Narcotics, REDDOG Unit, all Federal Task Force Officers, HIDTA Task Force, Cyber Crimes, Gangs & Guns, and the Surveillance Unit.  In addition, she was the Internal Affairs Commander, Airport Section Asst. Commander, and served on Executive Loan as a Project Manager to the Mayor’s Office.  After her promotion to Deputy Chief, she led the Strategies & Special Projects Division, overseeing the Department’s new Video Integration Center (VIC), a real-time crime center where she ensured more than 3000 public and private sector cameras were included in the citywide network. Also, under her leadership were Planning & Research, Accreditation (CALEA), the Atlanta Police Leadership Institute (APLI), capital projects, facility improvements, and more. Davis retired in June 2016 to accept the position of Chief of Police for the City of Durham, NC.

As the Chief of Police, Davis made great strides towards improving the Durham Police Department’s outreach and crime reduction efforts by building trust between citizens and law enforcement and fostering sustainable partnerships with key stakeholders.

In April of 2021, Chief Davis was selected by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland as the first female police chief for the Memphis Police Department. She was later confirmed by Memphis City Council in May and began her career as the Chief of Police for the Memphis Police Department on June 14, 2021.

Chief Davis is a graduate of the 225th Session of the National FBI Academy and completed senior management training at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Boston, MA. Chief Davis has experienced training opportunities abroad at the Emergency Preparedness College in York, England, and as a participant in a leadership exchange session with the Israel National Police.

She is a past President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and recently testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the matter of Police Reform, in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. She has since been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, and other networks as a subject matter expert on this important topic.

She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and was appointed to North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper’s Racial Equity in Criminal Justice Task Force.

Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards and commendations, including Atlanta Police Supervisor of the Year, and featured in OPRAH ‘O’ Magazine as the winner of the “Women Rule” competition, where she was recognized for establishing a women’s mentoring initiative entitled, “Sisters-In-Law.” In 2013, she was featured in Atlanta’s Women Looking Ahead Magazine as one of Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Women.

Davis has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in General Administration. She is the proud wife of a very supportive husband (retired law enforcement) for 27 years, and mother of one daughter.