Edward F. Davis is the President and CEO of The Edward Davis Company, a business strategy and security services firm. Davis has brought together a team of security and technology solutions experts including former federal, state, local law enforcement, military officials, researchers and attorneys with direct personal connections to esteemed academic institutions, national and international governing and intelligence entities. The Davis team lends their expertise to crisis response, risk management, site assessments, facility security design, audit and compliance, thought leadership and policy, government consulting, cyber/IoT mitigation and management and product strategy.
Davis has been in law enforcement for 35 years. He served as the Police Commissioner of the City of Boston from December 2006 until October 2013. He administered 6 world championship celebrations and led the highly successful response to the Boston Marathon bombing. Prior to that, Davis was the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, a position he held for 12 years and one he rose to after starting out as a patrol officer in 1978. He comes from a police family, which has allowed him to better understand the needs of police officers and the communities they serve. He is a recognized expert in crisis management and community policing. He brings with him a strong record of interagency collaboration and a broad range of local, state, national and international experience in law enforcement and public safety.
Commissioner Davis has also worked internationally on police issues in Singapore, London, Northern Ireland, Jordan and Israel. Commissioner Davis served on the Police Executive Research Forum’s (PERF) Board of Directors and was a founding member and first President of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs Association.
Davis provides thought leadership to mitigate and manage Cyber Security threats. He has served on panels at Harvard Business School & Nixon Peabody Law Firm discussing the pertinent issues of Cyber Security and has formed a partnership with RSA, the Security Division of EMC, a world class provider of intelligence-driven security solutions.
In February 2016, the Commissioner testified before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ hearing titled “Frontline Response to Terrorism in America.” In 2015, Davis also testified as an expert witness in a Rhode Island court on police policies and practices in a motion for a new trial on a twenty-five (25) year old homicide case. In 2013, the Commissioner testified before US House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security at the hearing titled “The Boston Bombings: A First Look.” That same year, he testified before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at a hearing titled “Lessons Learned from the Boston Marathon Bombing: Preparing for and Responding to an Attack.” In both of the hearings, Davis testified to the importance of coordination and information sharing and technology, and the need for auditing systems and practices.
Commissioner Davis has been recognized for his efforts locally and nationally, including through the Police Executive Research Forum, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Major Cities Chiefs Association, where he held a board position. Davis was a past co-chair of the IACP, Research Advisory Committee since 2011. Davis was inducted into Evidence Based Policing Hall of Fame, George Mason University, in 2011.
He has received Honorary Doctorates from Northeastern and Suffolk Universities and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He holds a Professional Director Certification from the American College of Corporate Directors, a public company directors education and credentialing organization.
Ed Davis appears on The CopDoc Podcast on April 5, 2021.