| Agencyname: | Detroit Police Department |
| Abbreviation: | DPD |
| Logocaption: | Seal of the Detroit Police Department |
| Badge: | Badge of the Detroit Police Department (c. 1933–2004).svg |
| Badgecaption: | Badge of a DPD officer with badge number removed |
| Patch: | Patch of the Detroit Police Department.png |
| Patchcaption: | Patch of the Detroit Police Department |
| Country: | United States |
| Divtype: | U.S. statestate |
| Divname: | Michigan |
| Subdivtype: | City |
| Subdivname: | Detroit |
| Map: | Wayne County Michigan Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Detroit highlighted.svg |
| Headquarters: | Detroit Public Safety Headquarters |
| Sworntype: | Officer |
| Sworn: | 2,450 |
| Chief1name: | James White |
| Chief1position: | Chief of Police |
| Stationtype: | Precinct |
| Stations: | [1] |
| Website: | www.detroitmi.gov/Police |
The Detroit Police Department (DPD) is a municipal police force based in and responsible for the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1865, it has nearly 2,500 officers, making it the largest law enforcement organization in Michigan.
Town constables were appointed for Detroit starting in 1801. A formal Police Commission was established in 1861 but the first forty policemen did not begin working in Detroit until 1865.[2] [3]
In 1893, the department hired its first policewoman (Marie Owen) and its first black policeman (L. T. Toliver).[2] The Detroit Police Department established a Women's Division in 1921 that was tasked with cases of "child abuse, sexual assaults, juvenile delinquency, and checking establishments for illegal minors."[4] Female officers were not allowed to work on criminal cases unless accompanied by male officers until 1973, after a series of discrimination lawsuits prompted changes in department policy.[5]
In 1921, the Detroit Police Department became the first police department in the country to utilize radio dispatch in their patrol cars.[6] A historical marker at Belle Isle Park describes the new advancement in technology.
In February 1940, Mayor Richard Reading, the Superintendent of Police, the county sheriff and over a hundred more were indicted on corruption charges. The Mayor was accused of selling promotions in the department. Eighty officers were accused of protecting illegal gambling operations in the city. In the end, the Mayor served three years in jail, ending in 1947.[7]
In 1957, the Detroit Police Department employed 5,000 policemen and operated a fleet of ambulances to respond to medical emergencies.[8]
In 2000, the Detroit Free Press published a series of articles after a four-month investigation into fatal shootings by Detroit police officers.[9] At the time, Detroit had the highest rate of police-involved shootings of any large city in the United States, surpassing New York, Los Angeles, and Houston. The city requested an investigation by the United States Department of Justice into the department's handling of deadly force incidents. By 2001, the Justice Department's investigation had uncovered issues with the department's arrest and detention practices as well. Between 2003 and 2014, the Detroit Police Department was placed under federal court oversight by the Justice Department as the result of allegations about excessive force, illegal arrests and improper detention.[10] This process cost the city of Detroit more than $50 million. By 2014, the department's use of force had been "seriously reduced" and the U.S. District Judge overseeing the case stated that the Detroit Police Department had "met its obligations" for reforms.[11]
In 2005, the department's thirteen precincts were consolidated into six larger districts as a cost-cutting measure.[12] The department restored a number of precincts in 2009 after citizens complained about the change. In 2011, it was announced that the Detroit Police Department would be reverting to the original precinct structure, with officials citing "gap[s] in services" and concerns over the new command structure.
On January 23, 2011, 38-year-old Lamar Moore walked into the 6th precinct with a pistol shotgun and shot and wounded 4 officers before being killed.[13]
On November 9, 2017, undercover police posing as drug dealers tried to arrest a group of undercover police posing as drug buyers, which led to a multi-person fight and several injuries. Police Chief James Craig told the Detroit Free Press that the brawl was "probably one of the most embarrassing things I've seen in this department."[14]
On June 11, 2010 it was reported that the City of Detroit would acquire the former MGM Grand Detroit temporary casino building (originally the IRS Data Center) on John C. Lodge Freeway for $6.23 million[15] and convert it into a new police headquarters complex which would also house a crime lab operated by the Michigan State Police.[16] The renovated building also houses the Detroit Fire Department headquarters. The former casino building has 400000square feet of space. The historic Detroit Police headquarters is in Greektown. On June 28, 2013, the new public safety headquarters opened for business.
The 2022 budget for the department was $341 million, constituting 28.7% of the city's general fund.[17]
As the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus continues to spread around the United States, several Detroit Police officers tested positive for being infected with the COVID-19 virus, and over 200 more were quarantined to prevent further spread of the virus in the Detroit metro area. Several infected people in the Detroit metro area had already succumbed to the virus and died after it was first discovered in the counties Detroit and its suburbs were located in. The Detroit Police suffered its first casualty to the virus with the death of a 38-year-old civilian dispatcher.
Since 1878, the Detroit Police Department has lost 228 officers in the line of duty.[18]
2013 breakdown of gender and ethnic minorities employed by the DPD:[19]
The Detroit Police Department has one of the largest percentages of Black officers of any major city police department, reflecting current overall city demographics. Lawsuits alleging discrimination stemming from the influence of affirmative action and allegations of race-based promotional bias for executive positions have surfaced repeatedly.[20] [21] [22] As of 2008, the majority of upper command members in the Detroit PD were Black.[23]
The table below lists people killed by and controversies involved with the Detroit Police Department.
| Date | Name of deceased (age) ! | Officer(s) involved | Description of event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6 Killings and 15 Non-Fatal Shootings by Police | Officer William Melendez and Others | According to reports, a group of cops led by William Melendez "were acquitted in a jury nullification verdict of federal charges of brutality in false arrest in dozens of cases, despite the testimony of nine Black cops against them."[24] Melendez was arrested years later for the beating of Floyd Dent in January 2015.[25] | |
| 2004-11-11 | Dennis Crawford (31) | Officers LaRon York and Barron Townsend | Crawford was unarmed and was killed by LaRon York and Barron Townsend. According to reports "York shot him four times, once in the back, once in the head, and twice in the leg."[26] The mother of Crawford's son claims that Crawford was shot 15 times in an online report. In addition, the federal lawsuit was settled with the Crawford family for an undisclosed amount and York was later removed from the police force, however Townsend remained and was involved in the killing of Tommie Staples in 2008.[27] | |
| 2005-01 | Unarmed Motorist | Undisclosed | An unarmed and unnamed motorist, who according to reports is still unnamed to this day, was "shot to cops as he waited with his stalled vehicle."[28] | |
| 2005-02-02 | Wilbert Burks (39) | Undisclosed | Killed by police in his home. According to eyewitnesses "It was overkill,” a neighbor told reporter Dianne Bukowski. “They had over 28 shots and he never shot off a round. The house was riddled with bullets. His girlfriend had two children in the house at the time. Her teenage daughter passed out, and they had to call EMS for her. Afterwards, the police were laughing in the street, like it was a party."[29] | |
| 2005-02-12 | Allante Lightfoote-Powell (16) | Undisclosed | Killed by police in the basement of his home. Police claim he was armed and came out firing however according to reports "no gunshot residue tests were performed on his hands, according to records later obtained from DPD."[30] | |
| 2005-07-03 | Anthony Scott (25) | Undisclosed | Killed by police at a gas station. Police claim he had a knife in his hand but according to witnesses "he did not pull it or otherwise threaten the cops."[31] Scott's family sued the city of Detroit for a wrongful death. It was settled for $1.2 million.[32] | |
| 2005-08-07 | James A. Stone | Undisclosed | James "Poppa" Stone, "died in [police] custody at the Second Precinct after pleading to go to the hospital for several days."[33] | |
| 2006-02 | Rosetta C. Williams | Undisclosed | According to reports, Williams was "killed by Kevin Lorenzo Collins at Mt. Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Lawsuit filed by Fieger’s office says that police failed to arrest Williams after he viciously assaulted Williams’ daughter." | |
| 2006-01 through 2006-06 | Alleged Rapes by Detroit Police | Officers Mishael Osmand, Michael Parish and others | According to reports, "dozens of men on Detroit’s southwest side were subjected to literal rapes during pretextual traffic stops by officers Mishael Osmand and Michael Parish, under the guise of anal cavity searches for drugs, conducted on the public streets." | |
| 2006-10-03 | Unidentified | Undisclosed | According an inspection by federal monitor’s office "only 15 percent of Detroit police car videotapes are functional." Many alleged crimes committed by Police went unrecorded during this time. | |
| 2006-11-26 | Brandon Martell Moore (16) | Officer Eugene Williams | Moore was unarmed and "shot to death in the back by off duty police officer Eugene Williams." | |
| 2006-11-26 | Unidentified Young Man | Undisclosed | According to reports, "An unidentified young man was shot to death that evening in a hail of gunfire by police, according to neighbors. The police had pursued him on foot after he allegedly tried to rob a Family Dollar store on W. McNichols. They claimed he fired a shot at them as he ran." | |
| 2007-02-12 | Artrell Dickerson (18) | Officer Kata-Ante Taylor | According to reports, Dickerson was "shot in the back and killed by officer Kata-Ante Taylor as the teen, already wounded, lay on the ground next to Cantrell Funeral Home." | |
| 2007-07-07 | Jevon Royall (30) | Officers Edward Brannick and Michael McGinnis | According to reports, Royall was "shot to death outside his home in front of his family by police officers Edward Brannick and Michael McGinnis." | |
| 2007-12-26 | Rose Cobb (47) | Sgt. David Cobb (Rose's Husband) | [34] | |
| 2008-06 | Tommie Staples Jr. | Officers Steven Kopp and Barron Townsend | Staples was unarmed and shot by Steven Kopp and Barron Townsend. Townsend was also involved in the killing of Dennis Crawford with another officer LaRon York, in 2004 which had led to a federal settlement.[35] In the killing of Staples they "chased him down an alley in retaliation for the role he and his wife Jacquelyn Porter played as advocates for neighborhood children stopped by police."[36] The federal lawsuit was reported as "settled for $2.5 million" in 2010.[37] | |
| 2008-07-01 | Shelton Bell Jr. (16) | Undisclosed | According to reports, Bell was "shot to death by an off-duty cop after allegedly demanding the keys to the cop’s car at a gas station on the west side, then running when the cop pulled his gun. The autopsy report shows that Bell, Jr. was shot ten times, five in the chest, three in the back, once in the head behind his right ear, and once in his left arm." | |
| 2008-07-18 | Robert Hill (35) | Undisclosed | According to reports, Hill "rode his bicycle to an apartment building in Detroit and was rammed by a police car into another vehicle."[38] | |
| 2008-11-08 | James Willingham and Jeffrey Frazier | Undisclosed | Both were killed after a high-speed state trooper chase. According to reports, Troopers "violated their own high-speed chase regulations and should have been considered criminally liable for the deaths of the two Detroit men."[39] In addition, Troopers arrested a reporter on scene who was trying to cover the incident and claimed she "interfered at the scene of a fatal traffic accident that followed a police chase."[40] | |
| 2009-14 | Robert Mitchell | Undisclosed | According to reports, Mitchell, a high school sophomore, was unarmed and tasered to death by multiple Detroit police officers.[41] | |
| 2009-08-13 | Unnamed Motorist | Undisclosed | According to reports, an unidentified motorist "died in a fiery crash" after being pursued by Detroit Police.[42] | |
| 2009-10-28 | Imam Luqman Abdullah | Undisclosed | According to reports, Abdullah, the leader of a Detroit Mosque, was "shot 21 times in a raid, coordinated by a joint task force of FBI, Detroit and Deerborn cops."[43] No explanations have been provided for this killing, and according to Attorney Lena Masri there was a "concerted effort by the government to cover up what actually happened that day."[44] | |
| 2010-05-16 | Aiyana Stanley-Jones (7) | Officer Joseph Weekley Jr. | Stanley-Jones, aged 7, was shot during a Detroit Police raid. According to reports, "juries twice failed to reach a verdict in Weekley's case" allowing Weekley to walk free.[45] [46] | |
| 2010-07-04 | Demarlo Hobbs (31) | Undisclosed | According to reports, Hobbs was "shot to death while riding a bicycle."[47] | |
| 2010-07 | Unidentified Man | Undisclosed | An unidentified alleged robbery suspect shot to death by police.[48] | |
| 2010-09 | Unidentified Man | Undisclosed | An unidentified alleged shooting suspect shot to death by police.[49] | |
| 2010-09-17 | Unidentified Young Man (22) | Undisclosed | An unidentified alleged carjacking suspect shot to death by police.[50] | |
| 2011-08 | Robert Coffee (16) | Undisclosed Retired Cop | According to reports, "Coffee was shot 8 times" after he had allegedly robbed a McDonalds.[51] | |
| 2012-03-23 | Ian May (18) | Retired Officer Lamar Nowell Sr. | May was shot while fleeing the scene of a robbery that he allegedly took part in.[52] | |
| 2012-07-08 | Adaisha Miller (24) | Officer Isaac L. Parrish III | Miller, was shot to death while "dancing with Detroit cop" and witnesses claim that Parrish accidentally discharged his firearm, because he was improperly carrying it.[53] The Detroit Police Chief claimed it was a "freak accident."[54] | |
| 2013-04-12 | Matthew Joseph (23) | Officer Patrick Hill | According reports, Joseph was allegedly involved in a crack deal, and was shot after a short chase. Officer Patrick Hill later also died, as a result of wounds from "friendly fire."[55] | |
| 2014-01-28 | Mackenzie Cochran (25) | Lucius Hamilton, John Seiberling, Gaven King and Aaron Maree | According to reports, Cochran was "choked to death" by mall security guards. At the time, no arrests were made, and Detroit prosecutors refused to press charges.[56] In May 2023, 4 Security guards were charged.[57] | |
| 2015-01-28 | Floyd Dent (57) | Officer William Melendez | Dent, was unarmed and beaten by Inkster Police during a traffic stop. Dent later agreed to a $1.4 million settlement with the city. Melendez was subsequently fired and charged with assault.[58] | |
| 2015-03-30 | Anthony Clark Reed (24) | Undisclosed | Reed died during a traffic stop. According to reports, he had asthma and police "yanked him out of his car, shortened his breath more, and increased his heart rate" where he subsequently died.[59] |
| Order | Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Mayor(s) served under | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Frank C. Andrews | May 4, 1901 | February 10, 1902 | ||||
| 2nd | George W. Fowle | February 11, 1902 | June 20, 1905 | ||||
| 3rd | John B. Whelan | July 1, 1905 | May 14, 1906 | ||||
| 4th | Fred W. Smith | March 14, 1906 | June 30, 1909 | ||||
| 5th | Frank H. Croul | July 1, 1909 | May 17, 1913 | ||||
| 6th | John Gillespie | May 17, 1913 | September 30, 1916 | ||||
| 7th | September 30, 1916 | July 5, 1918 | |||||
| 8th | Ernst Marquardt | July 5, 1918 | January 14, 1919 | ||||
| 9th | January 14, 1919 | February 3, 1923 | [60] | ||||
| (5th) | Frank H. Croul | February 3, 1923 | July 15, 1926 | Previously served from 1909–1913 | |||
| 10th | William P. Ruteledge | July 15, 1926 | January 21, 1930 | ||||
| 11th | Harold H. Emmons | January 21, 1930 | March 21, 1930 | ||||
| 12th | Thomas C. Wilcox | May 21, 1930 | January 9, 1931 | ||||
| 13th | James K. Watkins | January 10, 1931 | August 14, 1933 | ||||
| 14th | John P. Smith | August 15, 1933 | March 31, 1934 | ||||
| 15th | Heinrich A. Pickert | April 1, 1934 | January 1, 1940 | ||||
| 16th | Frank D. Eaman | January 2, 1940 | June 1, 1942 | ||||
| 17th | John H. Witherspoon | June 1, 1942 | December 31, 1943 | ||||
| 18th | John F. Ballenger | January 1, 1944 | January 1, 1948 | ||||
| 19th | January 1, 1948 | January 2, 1950 | |||||
| 20th | George F. Boos | January 2, 1950 | September 30, 1952 | ||||
| 21st | Donald S. Leonard | October 1, 1952 | June 4, 1954 | ||||
| 22nd | Edward S. Piggins | June 5, 1954 | September 1, 1958 | ||||
| 23rd | Herbert W. Hart | September 2, 1958 | January 2, 1962 | ||||
| 24th | January 2, 1962 | December 19, 1963 | |||||
| 25th | Ray Girardin | December 19, 1963 | July 21, 1968 | ||||
| 26th | Johannes Spreen | July 22, 1968 | January 5, 1970 | [61] | |||
| 27th | January 6, 1970 | October 1, 1970 | |||||
| 28th | October 15, 1970 | September 21, 1973 | [62] [63] | ||||
| 29th | Philip G. Tannian | 1974 | 1975 | ||||
| 30th | Bill Hart | 1976 | February 14, 1991 | [64] | |||