Story by Chris Graham
The news that the Waynesboro police-chief job was coming open was still fresh in his mind, and already Doug Davis was thinking ahead.
The 26-year veteran of the Williamsburg police force had been a frequent visitor to the River City – and he knew that the city and the city PD had a strong reputation statewide.
“I’m looking forward to getting up there and getting to work,” said Davis, who was hired last week to replace longtime chief Phil Broadfoot.
City manager Doug Walker announced the news in a press release issued Monday morning.
The chief job had been open since Broadfoot left Waynesboro to take over as police chief in Danville on April 30.
Davis was one of 78 applicants for the job. He was chosen from a field of five finalists.
He will take over the duties of police chief in Waynesboro on Nov. 3.
Davis started his law-enforcement career in Williamsburg in 1977 – and rose through the ranks quickly, earning a promotion to investigator by his third year on the force and lieutenant before the end of his ninth.
He most recently served as the head of the department’s support-services bureau – as which he was in charge of the police force’s 911 center, information systems and myriad other support duties.
Prior to taking over that role, Davis was the head of the PD’s uniform bureau – where he was responsible for the day-to-day activities of officers in the field in addition to managing officer training, special-enforcement programs and was the point man for the department’s community-policing program.
“Mr. Davis brings an exceptionally strong combination of skills and talents to this key leadership position in the city of Waynesboro,” Walker said Monday.
“He has distinguished himself as an effective leader in a broad array of law-enforcement functions and has demonstrated success in his ability to communicate, facilitate, collaborate and pull together resources within his department and within the community as a whole to solve problems and address issues related to public safety.
“I look forward to bringing him on as part of the overall leadership team in the city,” Walker said. “Doug has a great deal to offer the police department and the citizens of Waynesboro as chief of police.”
Davis told The Augusta Free Press on Monday that his main point of emphasis will be on “working as a team.”
“It takes more than one person to do this job right. It’s a total team effort,” Davis told the AFP.
“I’m looking forward to the chance to get in there and get to know the department and the city and everybody there,” Davis said.
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