Chief signals planned 2026 departure; commission schedules hiring discussion and praises mutual-aid response

During the Feb. 18 meeting the police chief told the commission he intends to leave his position on Jan. 26, 2026, and asked the commission to begin work on a hiring and backfill plan now rather than wait until late in the year.

Commissioners agreed to schedule a study session immediately before the next regular commission meeting (the commission discussed meeting on the 18th) to outline steps, candidate pools and timeline for replacement hiring and internal backfill planning. Commissioners noted that promoting an internal candidate would create additional vacancies that must also be addressed and said they preferred a deliberate handoff so a successor would have time to learn the job before the chief’s departure.

Separately, in a liaison report the commission highlighted Deputy Chief Todd Brozick as lead of the mutual-aid dive team. The liaison said Brozick and Grosse Ile members of the mutual-aid team worked in freezing conditions during a large water-main break in Southwest Detroit, rescuing residents and pets from flood conditions described in the meeting as contaminated (sewer) water. The liaison thanked Brozick and named Fire Marshal Bob Roscoe and firefighter Andrew Huber as additional local participants who assisted in the response.

No formal hiring motion or timeline was adopted at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to place the hiring discussion on an upcoming agenda and to meet in a study session to draft steps for posting, interviewing and backfill timing.