List of chiefs of the Detroit Police Department
The chief of the Detroit Police Department serves as head of the police force in the American city of Detroit. The position has had several titles over the course of its history.
List of chiefs
| Order | Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Mayor(s) served under | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | _(1).jpg) | Frank C. Andrews | May 4, 1901 | February 10, 1902 | William C. Maybury | [1] | |
| 2nd | .jpg) | George W. Fowle | February 11, 1902 | June 20, 1905 | William C. Maybury George P. Codd | [1] | |
| 3rd |  | John B. Whelan | July 1, 1905 | May 14, 1906 | [1] | ||
| 4th | Fred W. Smith | March 14, 1906 | June 30, 1909 | [1] | |||
| 5th |  | Frank H. Croul | July 1, 1909 | May 17, 1913 | [1] | ||
| 6th | _(a).jpg) | John Gillespie | May 17, 1913 | September 30, 1916 | [1] | ||
| 7th | .jpg) | James Couzens | September 30, 1916 | July 5, 1918 | [1] | ||
| 8th | .jpg) | Ernst Marquardt | July 5, 1918 | January 14, 1919 | [1] | ||
| 9th | .jpg) | James Woffendale Inches | January 14, 1919 | February 3, 1923 | James Couzens, John C. Lodge | [1] | |
| (5th) | .jpg) | Frank H. Croul | February 3, 1923 | July 15, 1926 | John C. Lodge, Frank Ellsworth Doremus, Joseph A. Martin, John C. Lodge, John W. Smith | Previously served from 1909–1913 | [1] |
| 10th | _portrait_photograph%252C_circa_1926_(3x4_crop).png) | William P. Rutledge | July 15, 1926 | January 21, 1930 | John W. Smith, John C. Lodge, Charles Bowles | [1] | |
| 11th | Harold H. Emmons | January 21, 1930 | March 21, 1930 | Charles Bowles | [1] | ||
| 12th | .jpg) | Thomas C. Wilcox | May 21, 1930 | January 9, 1931 | Charles Bowles Frank Murphy | [1] | |
| 13th | James K. Watkins | January 10, 1931 | August 14, 1933 | Frank Murphy Frank Couzens | [1] | ||
| 14th | John P. Smith | August 15, 1933 | March 31, 1934 | Frank Couzens, John W. Smith | [1] | ||
| 15th | Heinrich A. Pickert | April 1, 1934 | January 1, 1940 | Frank Couzens, Richard Reading | [1] | ||
| 16th | Frank D. Eaman | January 2, 1940 | June 1, 1942 | Edward Jeffries | [1] | ||
| 17th | John H. Witherspoon | June 1, 1942 | December 31, 1943 | Edward Jeffries | [1] | ||
| 18th | John F. Ballenger | January 1, 1944 | January 1, 1948 | Edward Jeffries | [1] | ||
| 19th | .png) | Harry S. Toy | January 1, 1948 | January 2, 1950 | Edward Jeffries, Eugene Van Antwerp | [1] | |
| 20th | George F. Boos | January 2, 1950 | September 30, 1952 | Eugene Van Antwerp, Albert Cobo | [1] | ||
| 21st |  | Donald S. Leonard | October 1, 1952 | June 4, 1954 | Albert Cobo | [1] | |
| 22nd | Edward S. Piggins | June 5, 1954 | September 1, 1958 | Albert Cobo, Louis Miriani | [1] | ||
| 23rd | Herbert W. Hart | September 2, 1958 | January 2, 1962 | Louis Miriani | [1] | ||
| 24th |  | George Clifton Edwards Jr. | January 2, 1962 | December 19, 1963 | Jerome Cavanagh | [1] | |
| 25th | Ray Girardin | December 19, 1963 | July 21, 1968 | Jerome Cavanagh | [1] | ||
| 26th | Johannes Spreen | July 22, 1968 | January 5, 1970 | Jerome Cavanagh | [1][2] | ||
| 27th | Patrick V. Murphy | January 6, 1970 | October 1, 1970 | Roman Gribbs | [1][2][3] | ||
| 28th | John Nichols | October 15, 1970 | September 21, 1973 | Roman Gribbs | [3][4] | ||
| 29th | Philip G. Tannian | 1974 | 1975 | Roman Gribbs, Coleman Young | [5] | ||
| 30th | Bill Hart | 1976 | February 14, 1991 | Coleman Young | [6][7][8] | ||
| 31st | Stanley Knox | February 14, 1991 | 1994 | Coleman Young | [9][10] | ||
| 32nd | .jpg) | Isaiah McKinnon | 1994 | 1998 | Dennis Archer | [11][12] | |
| 33rd | .jpeg) | Benny Napoleon | July 1998 | July 15, 2001 | Dennis Archer | [13][14] | |
| 34th | Charles Wilson | July 15, 2001 | 2002 | Dennis Archer | [14][5] | ||
| 35th | Jerry Oliver | October 31, 2003 | 2003 | Kwame Kilpatrick | [15] | ||
| 36th | Ella Bully-Cummings | November 3, 2003 | September 2008 | Kwame Kilpatrick | Acting chief November 3, 2003 – 2004 | [16][17][18][19][20][21] | |
| 37th | James Barren | September 2008 | July 4, 2009 | Kenneth Cockrel Jr., Dave Bing | [22][23] | ||
| 38th | .jpg) | Warren Evans | July 6, 2009 | June 21, 2010 | Dave Bing | [24][25] | |
| 39th | _(1).jpg) | Ralph Godbee | June 21, 2010 | October 9, 2012 | Dave Bing | Was interim police chief from Jun. 21-Sep. 21, 2010; suspended from position from Oct. 3, 2012 until his Oct. 9, 2012 resignation | [25][26][27][28][29] |
| N/a | Chester Logan (interim) | October 9, 2012 | July 1, 2013 | Dave Bing | [30] | ||
| 40th | _(2).jpg) | James Craig | July 1, 2013 | June 1, 2021 | Dave Bing, Mike Duggan | [31][32] | |
| 41st | _(2).jpg) | James E. White | June 1, 2021 | November 10, 2024 | Mike Duggan | Was interim police chief from Jun. 1–Sep. 21, 2021 | [33][34][35] |
| 42nd | _during_Southwest_Detroit_flood_press_conference_held_on_February_17%252C_2025_(54334410463_2).jpg) |
Todd Bettison | November 11, 2024 | present | Mike Duggan, Mary Sheffield |
Was interim police chief from Nov. 11, 2024–Feb. 18, 2025 | [35] |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "Detroit Police Commissioners". Detroit Public Library, Detroit, MI. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- 1 2 McFadden, Robert D. (14 September 1970). "Ex-Detroit Police Aide to Teach Here". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- 1 2 Neumann, Ladd (October 16, 1970). "Supt. Nichols Police Boss". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ↑ "Tannian One of Band of Police-Politicians". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press. September 26, 1973. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- 1 2 "A History of Reform, Civil Rights, Community Partnership, and Public Safety" (PDF). City of Detroit Board of Police Commissioners. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit Police Department {". detroithistorical.org. Detroit Historical Society. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Ex-Detroit police chief regrets he set bad example". mlive. The Associated Press. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "NEW POLICE CHIEF NAMED IN DETROIT". The New York Times. 14 February 1991. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "February 14, 1991 (vol. 101, iss. 96) - Image 1". Michigan Daily Digital Archives. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit's Former Police Chief Robbed At Gunpoint While Mowing Lawn". 8 May 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Ike McKinnon's promise - 10 years before the riots". FOX 2 Detroit. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Chief Isaiah McKinnon "Policing from the Inside"". Gerald R. Ford Foundation. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ Siegel, Susan (July 17, 1998). "17 Jul 1998, Page 16 - Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- 1 2 Potts, Laura (13 Jul 2001). "Detroit mayor names new police chief". Newspapers.com. The Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan). The Associated Press. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit police chief resigns". Crain's Detroit Business. November 3, 2003. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit appoints first female to top police post". The Michigan Daily. The Associated Press. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ Hackney, Suzette and Schmitt, Ben (with Audi, Tamara). "New chief lays down the law: Preferring progress over praise, she has changes planned" Detroit Free Press, November 8, 2003, 1A.
- ↑ Hackney, Suzette and Schaefer, Jim. "Native Detroiter worked her way up" Detroit Free Press, November 4, 2003, 1A.
- ↑ "Lawsuits of '70s shape current police leadership". USA Today. 25 April 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ↑ "Person of the Week: Ella Bully-Cummings". ABC News. November 14, 2003. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit police chief announces her retirement". mlive. The Associated Press. 4 September 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Incoming Detroit mayor appoints police chief". The Oakland Press. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ↑ "Report: Detroit Police Chief James Barren being fired". MLive.com. Associated Press. July 4, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ↑ Jonathan Oosting (July 6, 2009). "Updated: Detroit Mayor Dave Bing names Warren Evans new chief of police". MLive.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- 1 2 "Detroit police chief resigns - CNN.com". CNN. Jun 21, 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Ralph Godbee named permanent Detroit Police Chief". mlive. The Associated Press. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit Police Chief Godbee Retires Amid Sex Scandal". detroit.cbslocal.com. WWJ-TV. Associated Press. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ Cournoyer, Caroline (9 October 2012). "Detroit Police Chief Resigns Amid Scandal". Governing. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ Ng, Christina (October 3, 2012). "Detroit Police Chief Suspended Amid Sex Scandal Allegations". ABC News. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Chester Logan To Retire After Detroit Hires New Police Chief". detroit.cbslocal.com. WWJ-TV. Associated Press. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ Herrera, Halston (12 July 2013). "Detroit police chief: 'Tremendous' change is coming". www.clickondetroit.com. ClickOn Detroit (WDIV). Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ↑ Williams, Corey (May 10, 2021). "Detroit police chief announces retirement effective June 1". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ↑ "James White Named Detroit Police Chief After National Search". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. August 23, 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ↑ "Police Chief". City of Detroit. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022.
- 1 2 Sahouri, Andrea May (2024-10-25). "Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison named as Detroit's interim police chief". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
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