As Detroit prepares for a pivotal transition in law enforcement leadership, Mayor Mike Duggan has announced that an interim replacement for outgoing Police Chief James White will be named by the end of next week, following White's acceptance of the CEO position at the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, focusing on mental health services.
White, who has served since 2021 and avoided the scandals seen in prior administrations, leaves a legacy of emphasizing mental health awareness within the community, as reported by Deadline Detroit. Mayor Duggan praised White's tenure saying, "He has led the department with professionalism and integrity and helped make Detroit a safer community. I know he’ll take those same talents and dramatically improve mental health services to the people of Wayne County as the CEO of DWIHN.”
White, having been part of the department since 1996 and his tenure as chief helps him understand the department's landscape, which becomes critical after a recent event in which Sgt Jacob Moss fatally fired on fellow officers during a crisis situation, as noted by FOX 2 Detroit.
Residents and advocacy groups are vocal about their desire for the next chief to continue addressing not just crime, but the root causes behind it, with a strong emphasis on community relations. Ms. Dee, a member of 48207-11 Grassroots Detroiters and the 7th Precinct Community Police Relations Coalition, expressed to ClickOnDetroit that the ideal chief would engage deeply with the community to truly understand and tackle the underlying issues of crime. "We need a chief that is willing to come out and speak with the community, and work with the community, and find out what’s really going to get to the root of the problem," she said.
The search for the new permanent chief will follow a process stipulated by the city charter, involving the Board of Police Commissioners who will then recommend a list of candidates as FOX 2 Detroit highlighted, Mayor Duggan will interview the candidates and make a selection and the selected candidate must then garner the support from a majority of the city council members.
Teferi Brent, co-founder of Dignity 4 Detroit, an organization advocating for police accountability and transparency, underscored to ClickOnDetroit the importance of the new chief's support for community violence intervention efforts and a commitment to transparency; concluding that the new head of the force will be held to high standards, "Whoever it is, they’re going to be held accountable," he said, “If they do their job right, we will celebrate them. If they do their job wrong, we are going to put our foot in their butt.” The 7th Precinct Community and Police Relation Coalition, where these concerns can be shared and discussed, convenes every fourth Friday, ensuring community dialogues continue to shape and respond to local law enforcement practices.
