Detroit Police Chief Named CEO of Mich. Mental Health Network

DETROIT— Detroit Police Chief James White has been named president and CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, the largest of Michigan's regional behavioral or mental health networks, county officials said Wednesday.

The mental health network's Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve White for the position, with one abstention, according to an agency press release Wednesday. White will replace Manny Singla, who has been the network's interim CEO since July and previously was executive vice president of operations, according to the agency's website.

“We are very pleased with the choice of Mr. White to continue leading DWIHN and we feel confident that he is the right person for the critical job of leading this organization as we enter this next phase of growth to help our region’s most vulnerable citizens,” Board Chairperson Dr. Cynthia Taueg said in a statement.

White, a licensed mental health therapist, applied for the DWHIN job last month.

It was not immediately clear how long White would stay on as chief or who would replace him. The health network said it needs to work with White on a start date. Phone calls and texts to city and police officials were not immediately returned.

White, a 26-year Detroit police veteran, was named Detroit's 43rd police chief in August 2021 after serving as interim chief for two months after the departure of Chief James Craig, who unsuccessfully pursued the Republican nomination for governor. White served as an assistant chief from 2012 until August 2020, when he left to head the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

Violent crime in the city dropped each year during White's tenure as chief, with 14,497 violent incidents in 2021, 12,844 in 2022 and 12,673 last year. As of Wednesday, violent crime in 2024 was down 8% from the same period in 2023, according to Detroit Police Department statistics.

There were 252 criminal homicides recorded in Detroit in 2023, the lowest since 1966. This year, there were 171 homicides in the city as of Wednesday, down 18.6% from the 210 homicides committed during the same period in 2023.

After serving as assistant chief for several years, White was named interim chief in May 2021. Among the first challenges he faced was the lifting of COVID restrictions in June 2021, which led to him and Mayor Mike Duggan announcing a five-point plan aimed at cracking down on the raucous "party atmosphere" in neighborhoods and parks that often led to shootings.

White also focused on enforcing laws against drag racing and drifting, and ensuring that businesses were licensed and adhering to city ordinances.

In 2023, following a bloody weekend in April that included six shootings in Greektown and on the Riverwalk, White launched a 12-point plan that aimed to get a handle on violent outbreaks in large crowds, raucous parties and drag racing. Downtown crime dropped that summer, and 2024 marked the first time in five years that police and city officials didn't hold a press conference addressing violence in Greektown.

Warm weather violence sparked again in July 2024 with a string of incidents at block parties, including a July 7 shootout between gang members on Rossini Avenue on the city's east side that left two people dead and 19 others wounded — the most victims in a mass shooting in Michigan history.

Despite the incident, police officials said violent crime had dropped during the summer for the second straight year.

During White's tenure, mental health-related calls skyrocketed because of the COVID pandemic and other factors. Through July 2023, Detroit police officers made an average of 40 mental health-related runs a day, up from 20 a day in 2020, according to Police Department statistics.

White in December 2022 overhauled the department's Crisis Intervention Team program by having dedicated officers who only do mental health runs, centralizing operations, outfitting team officers in "softer" uniforms and equipping them with less-than-lethal weapons such as beanbag shotguns and Bolawraps, which are hand-held devices that discharge a cord that coils around a person's arms or legs to restrain them.

Darryl Woods, chairman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, said White did a "phenomenal job" and praised the outgoing chief's "Walk a Mile Wednesday" program, in which White walked with residents throughout the city, giving them an opportunity to talk about the department or air grievances.

"He's been a community-driven chief, and he's been sensitive to the civil liberties of the citizens," Woods said. "For the next chief, I'm looking for the same kind of compassionate leadership."

Police Commissioner Willie Burton said White did an average job.

"While I have not always agreed with Chief White, I do wish him best in his future endeavors," Burton said in a text message. "I was hoping (he) would do more to make the Department responsive to the needs of the people. ... I can't rate his performance above a C-plus."

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