The saga enveloping the Hamtramck Police Department has reached a new chapter as former Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri has agreed to resign. Under the terms of the agreement with the city, he will receive a severance payment equal to five months of his salary, totaling about $52,000, as per the announcement by his legal representatives at the Hall Makled law firm. The city confirmed the figure, based on Altaheri's annual salary of $125,000. This development ends the tenure of Hamtramck's first Arab American and Muslim American chief, who also made headlines as the first police chief of Yemeni descent in a U.S. city, according to the city's website. The resignation was backdated to August, and the city is slated to pay the severance within 14 days from the effective date of the agreement, his attorneys noted.
Controversy surrounded Altaheri's leadership earlier this year following a suspension over alleged misconduct that led to allegations of drunken driving and abuse of power. A 59-page investigative report by Michigan-based Miller Johnson law firm found "significant" misconduct by Altaheri that warranted termination. However, Altaheri's lawyer, Amir Makled, has criticized the report as "one-sided" and contended that his client was retaliated against for whistleblowing against other officers. "The chief had been reporting wrongdoing from other police officers and had been giving advice to the mayor and to the city attorney about some of the misdeeds of people in the police department. And so, instead of being protected as a whistleblower, he was terminated," Makled told CBS News Detroit.
Despite the investigation and events leading to his resignation, Altaheri's tenure also marked a period of significant change and diversity initiatives within the Hamtramck Police Department. As the city's first minority chief, he was pivotal in hiring and promoting officers from diverse backgrounds and conducted extensive community outreach. "Altaheri hired and promoted women in the department and held the city's first women officer appreciation night," reported the Detroit Free Press, reflecting a broader shift towards inclusion. He implemented a "CompStat" program to analyze crime trends and kick-started a citizen academy and youth academy to foster closer ties between the police force and Hamtramck's residents.
Amid accusations of serious misconduct by Altaheri, both the City Council and the acting city manager called for his termination — a position firmly rebutted by his legal team. According to The Detroit News, attorney Reno Arabo, representing former City Manager Max Garbarino, countered that, "Allowing him to resign on paper does not change why he was removed from authority. A negotiated exit cannot rewrite what happened and it does not undo the events that led to his removal. Those events will be addressed when people are under oath." Meanwhile, Altaheri's resignation agreement states that he is "departing his former position in peace and with his good name intact," ensuring his exit from the department without the label of termination.
With his departure, Altaheri now looks toward the future. Despite the controversy and the legal entanglements, his attorney attests to the positive impact of Altaheri's tenure in Hamtramck. "He's grateful for the time he spent in the city of Hamtramck. He's done a lot of good," Makled shared with the Detroit Free Press, echoing sentiments of some city residents who also expressed support for the former chief's tenure and community efforts.
