Flint, Mich. Police Department Names New Chief

Oct. 1, 2013
A Detroit police veteran is taking over as top cop in Flint, where violent crimes have soared.

A veteran of the Detroit Police Department is taking over as top cop in Flint, where violent crimes have soared.

On Monday, Detroit police Deputy Chief James Tolbert said he'll take over the job as Flint's police chief this month. Flint's current police chief, Alvern Lock, resigned last week.

Tolbert said he was appointed by Flint's incoming emergency manager, Darnell Earley.

Tolbert, who spent more than 27 years with Detroit police, said he plans to engage the community in Flint, which had the highest homicide rate in the country in 2012 among larger cities, according to FBI crime statistics.

"Crime doesn't happen in a vacuum," he said. "People know about crime, people know who's committing crime. We have to get people involved."

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Tolbert advised him he accepted a job offer to be Flint's chief.

"I'm excited for him," Craig said, adding that he looks forward to working with Tolbert.

FBI statistics released last month listed Flint and Detroit as the deadliest in 2012 among large cities nationwide.

"Certainly we both have a lot of work to do and we can certainly work on it together," Craig said.

According to records obtained by the Free Press through a Freedom of Information Act request, Tolbert applied earlier this year to be Detroit's police chief. The job went to Craig, who took the helm in July.

Tolbert, 53, who started his career with the Detroit department in 1986, has served a a deputy chief since 2009, according to his resume. His resume says he previously served as commanding officer over the major crimes unit, including homicide and sex crimes, and over organized crime, including narcotics and gang enforcement.

Like Detroit, Flint is plagued with violent crime.

According to FBI crime statistics released Sept. 16, Flint had the highest homicide rate in the country in 2012 for cities with a population of 100,000 or more. With 63 homicides in 2012, Flint had a rate of 62 homicides per 100,000 residents.

Flint's violent crime totals also soared in 2012. According to statistics, the city had 2,774 violent crimes in 2012, compared with 2,392 in 2011.

Detroit had the second-highest homicide rate in 2012 among larger cities. The city's homicide rate was 54.6 per 100,000 residents -- the highest rate since 1993, when there were 57.6 homicides per 100,000 residents.

Copyright 2013 - Detroit Free Press

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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