Detroit City Council approves James White as police chief

The Detroit City Council on Tuesday approved the permanent appointment of James White as the city's police chief. 

The move follows Mayor Mike Duggan's selection of White to serve as interim chief after Chief James Craig left the department on June 1. Craig is now seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022.

Duggan sent a recommendation to council in August to make White's appointment permanent.

White was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Council President Brenda Jones said White is well-respected in Detroit and understands relationship-building between police and the community.

"Chief White has a strong commitment to our citizens and particularly those suffering from mental health issues. I expect him to make a great impact on these important issues," Jones said.

Councilmember Scott Benson said he was excited to support White's appointment, thanks in part to the chief's "prioritization of fighting violent crime in our neighborhoods" and his data-driven approach to policing.

"To combat modern crime, you need to use modern techniques and data is part of that. So if you miss trends, if you miss patterns, you may miss criminals. You need to utilize the data and all the metrics that are available to fight crime in this modern world. I'm glad we have a chief that prioritizes and utilizes data to help do that," Benson said. 

Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield in a previous statement supported Mayor Duggan's selection of the chief. 

Councilmember Janeé Ayers, in a statement on Tuesday, said she looks forward to working with him.

"Chief James White's background as a lifelong Detroiter and longtime police officer and civil rights leader in our city and state, from DPD's Civil Rights Integrity Bureau to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, combined with his unique perspective as a licensed mental health worker makes him an excellent choice to lead the City's police department during a time with a great deal of conversation around the role of policing," Ayers said in a statement.

White was the city's assistant police chief since 2013 before becoming executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights last summer. The chief is also a licensed counselor with a goal of providing mental health resources to his staff.

White will oversee a police department of 2,200 officers and may have to navigate criticisms similar to the kind during Craig's leadership.

Activists last summer sought more transparency and accountability amid the George Floyd protests, along with ending the criminalization of Black people by reducing unnecessary traffic violations.

Concerns also remain over implementing surveillance technology that may unfairly target communities of color or misidentify suspects.

More: When his uncle was killed, interim Detroit police chief found comfort in arms of officer

Born and raised in Detroit, White started with the Detroit Police Department in 1996. He became officer of internal controls in 1999, then sergeant of patrol in 2000, sergeant of detective bureau in 2005, lieutenant in 2006, and then a commander in 2007. 

White set a goal with his command team to reduce violence in Detroit on his first day as interim chief. At the mayor's August announcement, White touted a 20% reduction in crime since he took the role. He added that the department responded to about 70,000 police runs, 2,200 mental health-related calls, recovered 1,900 firearms and made 1,500 gun arrests. 

Duggan has asked White to establish a new plan to eliminate the city's towing rotation practices a day after federal agents searched city hall and the homes of Councilwoman Janeé Ayers, Councilman Scott Benson and their chiefs of staff as part of an ongoing public corruption investigation.

Contact Dana Afana: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DanaAfana