By Rodney Foo, San Jose Mercury News
In his first public appearance as San Jose’s next police chief, department veteran Rob Davis on Tuesday quickly displayed the qualities that made him City Manager Del Borgsdorf’s first choice.
The 46-year-old Davis -- whose confirmation by the city council is all but a formality -- enjoys public speaking and deftly articulated his gratitude, joy and enthusiasm. Then he promptly turned to face a Spanish-language television crew to repeat a similar statement in fluent Spanish.
Davis represents the generational change taking place within the department. The 23-year veteran, reared in San Jose, brings a skill set uniquely tailored to San Jose and Silicon Valley’s diverse and tech-savvy population.
Davis has built a reputation for using technology to improve efficiency and fight crime.
The incoming chief proposes to use technology that allows the department to track types of crimes by district on a real-time basis, helping administrators to pinpoint trends and potential problems, and efficiently deploy officers during tight budget times.
Davis also vows to revamp the police Web site, which he believes is one of the department’s critical sources of communication for residents.