Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » Farmington Hills Police Chief William Dwyer to work for Warren? « Previous Next »
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Falstaff
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Post Number: 120
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Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 3:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just read that former Detroit Deputy Police Chief and current Farmington Hills Police Chief Bill Dwyer is going to be the next police chief in Warren.

Anybody else hear about this?
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Hockey_player
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Post Number: 406
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Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 4:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This is true. Official announcement tomorrow.

(Message edited by hockey_player on January 23, 2008)
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Ray1936
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Post Number: 2590
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Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 6:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hmmm. I gotta combine this photo with another current thread.
Bill Dwyer giving me my retirement certificate at Carl's Chop House, 1984. We're both going strong.

dwyer
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Yaktown
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Post Number: 295
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Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 11:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nice pic Ray. I bet that wood paneling is still at Carl's!
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Novine
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Post Number: 393
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:01 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

From MIRS:

"Bill DWYER, the House Republicans' prized recruit for the 37th House District, told House leadership late last week that is bowing out of the race to take a new job as the chief of police in the city of Warren."
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Pgn421
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Post Number: 296
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 8:14 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

ray1936- were you with DPD?
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Lowell
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Post Number: 4488
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 10:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dwyer is also running for state rep for Farmington/Farmington Hills, in what is shaping up to be a very highly contested swing district. His opponent to fill the term-limited seat of Aldo Vagnozzi is the very successful and popular recent Farmington Hills Mayor Vicki Barnett.

Should he prevail, I wonder what his new employers will think of that? "Thanks for the job in your community, now I will be taking a leave of absence to serve another community in Lansing."
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Lowell
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 10:42 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

PS... Ray lookin' fit and trim! How did you avoid all those donut shops?
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Smogboy
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 10:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My dad has recently noticed a trend of Dwyer constantly appearing in the media the last few years. We see him in front of the cameras explaining how there was a gambling ring, a murder, drunken drivers, a heroin bust, etc. or whatever crime occured in Farmington Hills. Not that it's wrong for a public figure to come out and talk about the crime in his fair city, but my father wondered why has it been him so much? It almost makes it sound as though Farmington Hills is a war zone! Comparitively- and it might just be a media thing, but how many other suburban police chiefs do we know of that have Dwyer's sort of recognition. I know I'd be hard pressed to name three other suburban police chiefs. Anyone else??
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14andhayes
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 11:22 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would think with Dwyer taking the job for the City of Warren would then also pretty much necessitate him to live within city limits as well which would then take him out of the running for the state rep seat.
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Ray1936
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Post Number: 2596
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pgn421 -- yes.

Bill Dwyer is very photogenic, and he made many friends in the media while a major administrator in the Detroit PD. He maintained those friendships after he retired and took the Farmington Hills job, and was very open to them in his second career there. He was good with an appropriate comment. He's also a very honorable man. His openness with the press is admirable. A

Interesting that he's still in high gear, though. Bill's got to be pushing 70 and is still striving for achievement. I was happy to call work quits at 65 and am just enjoying the dickens out of retirement. Different strokes for different folks.
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Ray1936
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Post Number: 2597
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"PS... Ray lookin' fit and trim! How did you avoid all those donut shops?"

Heck, Dunkin' Donuts at Gratiot and Outer Drive was my sub-station! (Don't tell Jjaba I hit the east side regularly). I'm just one of those lucky guys who won't gain weight. When I came on the job, in fact, I could have passed for a clone of Barney Fife.
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Stinger4me
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Post Number: 138
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't understand the "can't stop working" mentality. It isn't my thing, doesn't seem to be Ray's idea either. If I got another job it would interfere with the other things I want to do in life.
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Whithorn11446
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Post Number: 184
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ray,
Didn't know you spent much time on the east side near the airport. Their were many good places to eat on Gratiot but they were not the chains. Were you over there because of MTB or your time on the Chief's staff ? I know the old 15th Precinct was at Gratiot & Conner which is in the immediate vicinity. Don't remember you mentioning a stint at the 15th.
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Stinger4me
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Post Number: 139
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 1:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Whithorn; What is that neighborhood like? At one time I lived on Sanford between Elmo and Gunston.
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Whithorn11446
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Post Number: 185
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 2:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Stinger4me
I'm sure you remember well that Whithorn is the next street after Sanford. 11446 is the same block between Gunston and Elmo. Last time I drove by Sanford was in decent shape. Whithorn is a disaster between Gunston and Elmo because it was mostly frame houses and many are gone. The blocks with a number of frame houses like Whithorn, Glenfield, St. Patrick have the the most issues. Further up on Findlay, College, and Engleside with mostly brick houses that part of the neighborhood looks better. Basically, the neighborhood became rough in the early 80's when the drugs became prominent. However, the decline started earlier. It probably started around 1975-76 and over a 5 year period went from okay to dangerous.
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Ray1936
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 2:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That was my MTB days, Whitehorn. Chief's staff later on took me out that way often, too, to the Aviation Section when it was quartered at City Airport. Strangely, I think I can count the fingers on one hand the number of times I was in the old Fifteenth Precinct station.

Didn't pay much attention to the housing out that way; seemed a lot li
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Stinger4me
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Post Number: 140
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 2:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ray1936; Was (Moon) Mullins assigned to the Aviation Section at that time?
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Ray1936
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Post Number: 2603
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 2:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You mean the guy who cracked up the department's nice new jet airplane? Never heard of the guy......

Wonder what happened to that yo-yo?
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Stinger4me
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Post Number: 141
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 2:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Whithorn; There was a PO who lived on Flanders or St. Patrick back in the late 60's early 70's. I think Sanford started skidding late 70's early 80's.

Stinger
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Whithorn11446
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Post Number: 186
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 3:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know of a detective that lived on Whithorn near Gunston and a few PO's that lived on the block between Gunston and Bradford. Overall, the neighborhood wasn't populated with that many city employees, but their were a few around.

Speaking of Bill Dwyer I know that he lived around 8 Mile and Kelly during his DPD days.
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Hpgrmln
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 6:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Farmington Hills is consistantly ranked in the top 25 of safest US cities with a population of over 75,000. As large as the city is geographically and populationwise, plenty of stuff will happen. But because it is generally low-crime and parts are quite wealthy, I think the media finds it interesting to report on goings-ons there because it isnt a daily thing, or because more money may be involved.
Warren has areas that are far rougher than the worst parts of FH. With FH's comparatively low crime rate,I can't say much negative about Dwyer.I'm remaining hopeful that Warren will improve now.
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Novine
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 6:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"But because it is generally low-crime and parts are quite wealthy, I think the media finds it interesting to report on goings-ons there because it isnt a daily thing, or because more money may be involved."

I don't think that's the case. The same stuff happens in W. Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills and it never gets the same coverage as FH. I think Dwyer liked to work the media. That's not a bad strategy. Think of it, when you catch a bad guy/gal, residents heaps praise on you. When you report of a criminal on the loose, who's going to cut your budget? It was a no-lose approach and it helped boost Dwyer's reputation around town.

This is also a big coup for Jim Fouts, Warren's Mayor. Dwyer is seen as a no-nonsense kind of chief. If he's willing to work for Fouts, he must have some reason to think that he can get along with Fouts. That will go a long way towards deflecting those attacks on Fouts that are based on his past behavior and reputation.
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Jrvass
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 7:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Judging from that mugshot, Dwyer is on the right.
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Stinger4me
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Post Number: 145
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Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 7:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mullins comes to mind with some type of legal problems and maybe a conviction on his part.

Stinger
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Pgn421
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 5:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Withorn- Billy grew up on Coram off Kelly.

Ray did you know RJ ? from S.T.R.E.S.S..
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Ray1936
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 6:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Uh, probably, but initials escape me just now....
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Pgn421
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 8:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

R Jones ?
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Ray1936
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 8:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gosh, Pgn, probably along the line somewhere, but the fog of time clouds my brain.
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Whithorn11446
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 9:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pgn421,
I thought he lived on Carlisle during his DPD days.
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Pgn421
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 9:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

could be, i thought it was Coram, i will have to check with my uncle, he lived next door to him
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Whithorn11446
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Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 10:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The information I had dates back to 1968 about Carlisle Street. I remember a seeing story some years ago Bill Dwyer told about trying to bust a gambling ring near City Airport during his DPD days and he mentioned that his mom lived around 6 Mile and Conner. I don't know if he was raised around there or his mom moved to the airport area later on. I think I also heard that Bill Dwyer is a St. Anthony high school alum.

(Message edited by Whithorn11446 on January 25, 2008)
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The_rock
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Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 8:56 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am not at all surprised by Dwyer's move. Sometimes it just takes people a little longer to realize that the living is better over here on the east side than on the west side.

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