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FTER A LONG APPLICATION PROCESS AND NATIONWIDE SEARCH, the Durham Police Department found its new chief this spring: Cerelyn "C.J." Davis, a native North Carolinian, born at Fort Bragg to “a very big family, a very close military family,” she says. When her father retired, the family packed up and moved to Atlanta, where she went to high school and eventually decided to go into law enforcement. After a 30-year career with the Atlanta Police Department, Chief Davis, 56, the mother of an adult daughter [Chaun] living in Brooklyn and grandmother to two, was ready for a new challenge. Her husband, Terry, currently a supervisor with the Fulton County Sheriff ’s Office, “will join me here once our house there is sold.” We chatted with her recently about her new position and what she hopes to accomplish here. – Laura Zolman Kirk
What attracted you to the Durham Police Department? I knew that Durham is a progressive city, a growing city. I was really intrigued by the colleges that are here and the Research Triangle area. There just seemed to be a lot going on in a very concentrated area. I started to take a deeper look into Durham, and the police department specifically. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Durham Police Department is a great department. And I wouldn’t have moved my husband and household here if I didn’t think this was a great department to work for and city to live in. Durham is a great city with a long history of racial harmony and tolerance, unlike many other cities. Is that one of the reasons you decided to come here? I was very attracted to the widespread philosophy advocating cultural diversity and inclusion in the city of Durham. There is also a deep-rooted sense of pride amongst residents toward Durham’s rich history and economic development in recent years. Durham has a lot of little surprises for newcomers, including some of the best restaurants in the Southeast — what are your impressions so far? I like walking the city; it’s a great place to enjoy festivals and arts, all of the quaint shops, restaurants. It’s a wonderful walking town. That has been my favorite part of the city so far. I really enjoyed a great meal at Parizade, love breakfast at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, and Beyù Caffè is a great place for a healthy lunch and java. I love the Brightleaf area. And the food truck rodeos are awesome! You’ve only been in office three months; have you developed goals coming into this new position? One of my short-term goals is to identify youth programs that the Durham Police Department can be heavily involved in. What I would like to see more of is a visible presence of the Durham Police Department, not [only] from an enforcement standpoint, but to have our officers in those communities mentoring young people, so that we’re not just talking to them during negative encounters with police. [We’re] changing our philosophy of being enforcers [to having] more of a guardian mentality as opposed to a warrior mentality. How do you do that? I think every police agency in the country should be taking a more surgical look at their department. How can they improve community relations? I think a good start is to find ways to partner with the community as it relates to October/November 2016
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