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South Lyon introduces new police chief Bonnie Unruh, a 30-year law enforcement veteran
Summary
City Manager Paul Zelnick introduced Bonnie Unruh as South Lyon’s new police chief; Unruh, who retired from Farmington Hills as assistant chief, said she plans to focus on community policing and supporting the department.
The South Lyon City Council on Aug. 11 introduced Bonnie Unruh as the new police chief. City Manager Paul Zelnick said Unruh brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including a career at Farmington Hills where she retired as assistant police chief; Unruh will start this Thursday.
Chief Bonnie Unruh told council she is “excited to get started” and looks forward to becoming part of the community. In remarks to council she described a career path that included patrol, investigations, promotion to sergeant and lieutenant, leadership training (Eastern Staffing Command) and later work in campus safety after retiring from Farmington Hills. She told council she values community policing but also said she supports providing officers with the tools and support to do their jobs.
Council members welcomed Unruh and asked about her credentials and background, and several noted family ties to public safety: Unruh said her husband, John, is a fire chief for Farmington Hills and her two eldest children are firefighters and paramedics; her youngest daughter is a student. Council members praised the department and said they look forward to working with the new chief.
Why it matters: The police chief is the department’s top executive; the appointment ends a recruitment process and sets leadership direction for the department’s policing and community relations.
Provenance: City Manager Paul Zelnick introduced Chief Unruh and she spoke about her background and priorities.
