Durham selects Cerelyn Davis as new police chief

Cerelyn Davis will become the new police chief of Durham, City Manager Tom Bonfield announced Tuesday morning. 

Davis, who has served as the deputy chief of the City of Atlanta Police Department for 30 years, will begin her new position June 6.  She was chosen out of 42 applicants after a four month search process.

“Deputy Chief Davis, during the course of her 30-year career, has demonstrated a broad array of skills and experience that will serve Durham well at this time," Bonfield said in a press release. "As we know, this is an extremely challenging time for policing, not only in Durham, but also throughout the country."

The search for a new chief began when Chief Jose Lopez announced in September his plans to retire. Davis visited Durham as a finalist on April 6 for a public forum, during which she noted her desire to increase community-based policing and improve communication with underserved groups. She will be the city's first black female police chief. 

“I am both appreciative and humbled to have been selected as the City of Durham’s new police chief," Davis said in the release. "I enthusiastically look forward to working with the men and women of the Durham Police Department, to further build a culture of trust and collaboration in partnership with the citizens we serve.”