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5 Facts About the Detroit Police Department
5 facts about the Detroit Police Department.
Detroit Police Chief James White is considering stepping down as the city’s top cop. He confirmed to the Free Press on Wednesday that he has applied for the position of CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
“It’s an extremely important role at a critical time for Detroit and Wayne County. We continue to have a mental health crisis in our community that needs to be addressed on multiple levels,” White said.
“I look forward to a competitive process and want to respect the process by saying nothing more at this time. While the process continues, I am fully committed to my role as Detroit’s police chief.”
White was appointed chief in June 2021 after former Chief James Craig announced his retirement. During White’s tenure as chief, he has repeatedly called for mental health services for Detroiters. White has worked with the health network he could lead if he gets the job on crisis intervention training for officers and mental health professionals.
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White has been with the Detroit Police Department since January 1996, the city said. He has a unique background for a police chief: White is a licensed mental health counselor and, in 2020, led the Michigan Department of Civil Rights before becoming chief.
The health network says it serves about 123,000 children and adults in Detroit and Wayne County, according to its website. The network serves people “with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbances, people with autism, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people with substance use disorders.”
Andrea Sahouri writes about criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. You can contact her at asahouri@freepress.com.
