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Detroit Police Chief Consolidates The Ranks Within Department

DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit Police Department is shaking up and slimming down their leadership team.

Detroit Chief James Craig Tuesday announced that he was promoting several members of the department to deputy chief, commander and captain telling WWJ's City Beat Reporters Vicki Thomas it's no secret that the department has been top-heavy.

"We'll reduce the deputy chief rank from six to three, we have reduced the commander rank from 17 to 9 and the captain rank that replaces the rank of inspector went from 21 to 23," said Craig.

Craig said, with a few exceptions, the team in place is all new.

Detroit police Cpt Donna Jarvis (VThomas)
Captain Donna Jarvis

Donna Jarvis was promoted from lieutenant to captain: "This administration and with the people he's put in place are the key people with the knowledge and the drive that we have and the connections that we are making with the citizens - this is absolutely the time for the criminals to get out-of-town."

Assistant Police Chief Eric Jones says that this changing of the guard will have an immediate impact within the community.

"It means that the citizens and the community members will have a direct person now, a captain, and that main captain has changed from inspector to captain because it's symbolic of driving a ship," said Jones. "It's your ship so the people that are in your community they are all passengers on your ship you have to take care of them."

The reduction, says Craig, will save taxpayers one million dollars as in police salaries a year.

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