Green Bay Reporter

Portland, Oregon Deputy Police Chief Chuck Davis, who helped lead that city's response to uprisings against federal agents last summer, is quite happy to be taking the top law enforcement job in Green Bay.

Davis is expected to be named Green Bay police chief by the end of this month.

"I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Green Bay Police Department," Davis said in a statement issued by the city on July 29. "Green Bay is an amazing community served by a great police department, and my family and I are excited to make it our new home.”

The Green Bay Police & Fire Commission (PFC) is just as happy that Davis is coming.

"The Commission is very excited to have Chief Davis join our team and look forward to introducing him to the department members and community," PFC President Rod Goldhahn said in the same statement. "In a group of very strong finalists, Chris stood out with his breadth of experience and success in the collective areas of police service that the community and department noted were of highest importance."

The Commission selected Davis, who actively campaigned for the job of replacing now former Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith, who retired in May. Long time Green Bay investigative commander James Runge came out of retirement to serve as interim chief.

Davis served 22 years with Portland Police Bureau in a number of management capacities, according to his bio on the bureau's website. Early last year, Davis was appointed deputy chief under now former Portland Police Bureau Chief Jami Resch and he stayed in that position when Resch stepped down early the June 2020 as Portland's racial justice protests were heating up. Resch was replaced by now Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell.

Davis was highly visible during Portland's protests, officer shootings and other violence, in addition to federal agents making things even more tense during their brief time in the city. Among other things, Davis condemned George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis, which sparked the Portland protests, but also advocated use of tear gas against the Portland protesters, according to a recent Portland Mercury news story.

Davis did not shy away from that history during the selection process for a new police chief in Green Bay.

“These days, when you mention that you're from Portland, people want to know about all the big issues we've faced in the last year, with the civil unrest last summer and escalating gun violence," Davis said in a video statement to the city in late June. "In spite of these challenges, we've made some great strides in terms of reform, accountability and community policing."

Davis said he learned a lot from that experience, including ways to innovate and "build a foundation of education and experience that I believe can serve the city of Green Bay well."

"Sure, we have our critics but we also have our supporters who recognize the value of the work that we do every day," Davis continued in his video statement. "They want us to do it the right way but they support us in the work. My vision is of a police department that works with its community to solve problems and make Green Bay the safest city in the United States. A department that respects and safeguards the rights of everyone it serves and is a great place to work."

Goldhahn acknowledged in comments to the Green Bay Press Gazette that Portland and Western Oregon in general are more liberal than Wisconsin and Green Bay but added that Davis is not Portland.

"We're not hiring the City of Portland," Goldhahn told the Press Gazette. "We're hiring Chris Davis."