Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety announces new HR director, cadet hires and gun amnesty program

Kalamazoo City leaders on Jan. 14 introduced James Henderson as the city’s new human resources and labor relations director and heard a Department of Public Safety update on staffing and community outreach programs.

The city announced that Henderson joined Kalamazoo on Monday, Jan. 6 and will also serve as the board’s scribe liaison. “He possesses diverse skills in workforce management, corporate training, talent acquisition, and benefits administration,” a city speaker said. Henderson told board members he was “certainly happy to be here” and that he has been “drinking from the fire hose the last week and a half” while getting started.

The Department of Public Safety also said it has hired four new cadets who are heading to the police academy. A department speaker encouraged residents to apply to the department’s January hiring process, which the department said runs Jan. 23–29 (dates cited in the meeting recording).

Public-safety staff described Pastors on Patrol, a program in which local pastors ride with officers and attend critical community events, and introduced a short gun-amnesty drop-off program launched in the days before the meeting. The department said that five guns had been turned in through the amnesty, and that drop-offs are accepted at participating churches listed on the department’s website; items are taken with no questions asked and a patrol officer will take the firearm into safekeeping.

The board chair announced the next annual police report card forum will be held Jan. 23 at the Douglas Community Association, with Kalamazoo County, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the Michigan State Police scheduled to present end-of-year updates. Food will be available starting at 5:30 p.m. and the program at 6 p.m., the chair said.

Ending: The meeting ended after the board approved minutes, heard the department updates and set future meeting dates.