Deltas Come Out In Force To Support Chief Davis

By Tony Jones The Memphis City Council swiftly voted Tuesday, January 23 to table the decision to reappoint Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn“C.J.” Davis until a later date. The unanimous decision now makes Davis the department’s interim director. Mayor Paul Young and Memphis City Council Chairman J. B. Smiley, Jr. met to discuss the pivot before Young introduced it. “We are in a crisis. Not just the reality of crime, but the perception of crime,” he said. “My goal is to resolve the chaos. My support of Chief Davis is not wavered. We’re going to use this time to show and prove.” Super District (9-3) Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren asked the mayor a procedural question of whether he would like to move the issue five months ahead or bring it back before the council. Young said he would like to avoid the “artificial timeline,” and continue the dialogue to a final decision. Chairman Smiley then urged the council’s support and the vote was cast.& & & This second vote was in contrast to the Tuesday, January 9 committee meeting that ultimately rejected Davis by a 7-6 vote. A tense 90-minute interrogation resulted in complaints that the council’s overall tone, led...