Lt. Autumn Davis, CPD's first female chief of detectives, plans a victim-centered approach

Born and raised on the West Side, Davis always had an interest in public service. A childhood experience made being a police officer feel empowering. After graduating with a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from West Virginia State University, she joined the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Department.

Davis has served many roles in the department: patrol sergeant; public information officer; commander of the Professional Services Division that investigates internal affairs; and, most recently, shift commander, where she honed her leadership skills.

Earlier this month, Davis became the department’s first female chief of detectives.

As chief, Davis oversees 13 detectives. She chose Sgt. Duane Fields as her assistant chief of detectives. Fields does a lot of day-to-day operations while Davis plans for and oversees the division.

Davis already has big goals for her detectives. First, she wants to establish a Special Victims Unit to focus on domestic violence, child abuse, sex crimes, victims with special needs, victims dealing with language barriers and other vulnerable populations that might not have an advocate.

“I have always wanted to operate with a victims-centered focus,� she said.

People can get lost in the criminal justice process, Davis said. There are delays the police department can’t do anything about. Especially in domestic violence cases, victims often don’t show up for court for a variety of reasons, from family support to finances to transportation, Davis said.

“Victims a lot of times may just feel like they’re alone, and they don’t have the support,� Davis said.

Davis said she thinks a unit like this would provide victim support through communication, connection with other services and advocacy.

“There may not be things that we can do as police officers, but we can maybe find the people that can help and put them in contact with them — just to create that link between arrest and adjudication,� she said.

Davis also wants to improve internal and external communication in her division. She wants to work with other divisions to enhance investigations, particularly with patrol officers, whose actions can dictate the course of an investigation.

“Getting that information and establishing that relationship where it’s just not ‘them and us,’� she said. “We’re working for a common goal.�

External communication with other agencies, citizens and community organizations also will help investigations.

“We can’t operate in a vacuum,� she said. “We need to utilize our resources and everyone who can assist us with these investigations.�

Davis became chief of detectives on Oct. 8.

The former chief of detectives, Sgt. Richie Basford, was placed on administrative leave in September, pending the results of an internal investigation. Sgt. Bo Miller was named to the interim position. (Basford remains on administrative leave.)

Davis said interim police chief Scott Dempsey held interviews for the position, something she had not seen happen under five previous department chiefs.

In an emailed statement, Dempsey said Davis possesses the “skills, knowledge and experience for the role.�

“I believe that Lt. Davis being the first female commander of our Criminal Investigation Division is a remarkable accomplishment and makes her a role model for other females who may have the desire to seek a career in law enforcement,� he wrote.

Of the approximately 160 officers on the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä police force, only six are women, department spokesman Lt. Tony Hazelett said.

With ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä having a mid-size department, female officers are scattered around.

“There’s definitely work that needs to be done in that area, as far as recruiting, and a big thing is retention,� Davis said.

She formerly worked as a recruiting and retention officer, and shared some reasons why women don’t come back to the department.

Finding child care is a struggle for male and female officers, and childbirth takes a toll on the body. Police work has an element of danger, which mothers might take into account with their children. They also might find a job with a better schedule.

When asked about getting more women into leadership roles in the department, Dempsey said one of his responsibilities is to empower officers to be leaders.

“Once officers achieve a supervisory rank, they are provided opportunities to lead, mentor and train other officers,� he said. “Lt. Davis is a great example of this process and has proven to be a hardworking, reliable leader within our department.�

Dempsey said all department employees know he has a strong commitment to fair and respectful treatment, and that his door is open to them when they have concerns or issues.

There’s never been enough females to have a level of mentorship and camaraderie among them, Davis said. However, she has still found mentors.

One is former department chief Steve Cooper, who himself was chief of detectives at one point. Cooper made Davis public information officer and has supported her career, she said.

Davis doesn’t make being a woman a focus. She said there will always be those who don’t support women in law enforcement, but the majority of male officers she has encountered see her as one of them.

“I try not to focus on my gender, because everybody brings something to police work,� she said, “and I think it has a lot to do with you as an individual.�