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 OrderNameTenure startTenure endMayor(s) served underNotes 1st Frank C. Andrews May 4, 1901 February 10, 1902 William C. Maybury 2nd George W. Fowle February 11, 1902 June 20, 1905 William C. MayburyGeorge P. Codd 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 James Couzens September 30, 1916 July 5, 1918 8th Ernst Marquardt July 5, 1918 January 14, 1919 9th James Woffendale Inches January 14, 1919 February 3, 1923 James Couzens,John C. Lodge (5th) 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 10th William P. Rutledge July 15, 1926 January 21, 1930 John W. Smith,John C. Lodge,Charles Bowles 11th Harold H. Emmons January 21, 1930 March 21, 1930 Charles Bowles 12th Thomas C. Wilcox May 21, 1930 January 9, 1931 Charles BowlesFrank Murphy 13th James K. Watkins January 10, 1931 August 14, 1933 Frank MurphyFrank Couzens 14th John P. Smith August 15, 1933 March 31, 1934 Frank Couzens,John W. Smith 15th Heinrich A. Pickert April 1, 1934 January 1, 1940 Frank Couzens, Richard Reading 16th Frank D. Eaman January 2, 1940 June 1, 1942 Edward Jeffries 17th John H. Witherspoon June 1, 1942 December 31, 1943 Edward Jeffries 18th John F. Ballenger January 1, 1944 January 1, 1948 Edward Jeffries 19th Harry S. Toy January 1, 1948 January 2, 1950 Edward Jeffries,Eugene Van Antwerp 20th George F. Boos January 2, 1950 September 30, 1952 Eugene Van Antwerp,Albert Cobo 21st Donald S. Leonard October 1, 1952 June 4, 1954 Albert Cobo 22nd Edward S. Piggins June 5, 1954 September 1, 1958 Albert Cobo,Louis Miriani 23rd Herbert W. Hart September 2, 1958 January 2, 1962 Louis Miriani 24th George Clifton Edwards Jr. January 2, 1962 December 19, 1963 Jerome Cavanagh 25th Ray Girardin December 19, 1963 July 21, 1968 Jerome Cavanagh 26th Johannes Spreen July 22, 1968 January 5, 1970 Jerome Cavanagh 27th Patrick V. Murphy January 6, 1970 October 1, 1970 Roman Gribbs 28th John Nichols October 15, 1970 September 21, 1973 Roman Gribbs 29th Philip G. Tannian 1974 1975 Roman Gribbs,Coleman Young 30th Bill Hart 1976 February 14, 1991 Coleman Young 31st Stanley Knox February 14, 1991 1994 Coleman Young 32nd Isaiah McKinnon 1994 1998 Dennis Archer 33rd Benny Napoleon July 1998 July 15, 2001 Dennis Archer 34th Charles Wilson July 15, 2001 2002 Dennis Archer 35th Jerry Oliver October 31, 2003 2003 Kwame Kilpatrick 36th Ella Bully-Cummings November 3, 2003 September 2008 Kwame Kilpatrick Acting chief November 3, 2003 – 2004 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. 37th James Barren September 2008 July 4, 2009 Kenneth Cockrel Jr.,Dave Bing 38th Warren Evans July 6, 2009 June 21, 2010 Dave Bing 39th 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 Chester Logan (interim) October 9, 2012 July 1, 2013 Dave Bing 40th James Craig July 1, 2013 June 1, 2021 Dave Bing,Mike Duggan 41st James E. White June 1, 2021 November 10, 2024 Mike Duggan Was interim police chief from Jun. 1–Sep. 21, 2021 42nd Todd Bettison November 11, 2024 present Mike Duggan,Mary Sheffield Was interim police chief from Nov. 11, 2024–Feb. 18, 2025

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