WYANDOTTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — In Wyandotte, Police Chief Brian Zalewski has been with the department for 32 years.
He’s honored to work and serve the community that he grew up in.
“My kids go to school here, I went to school here, my wife is a schoolteacher here, and it's just a great honor to serve as their chief of police,” Zalewski said. “We're an accredited agency — it's a guidebook, it's a health check of your department to make sure your policies, your rules, your standards are compliant with state law, federal law. And it's just a badge of honor, badge of excellence to have that accreditation.”
Downtown Wyandotte has changed in the years Zalewski has lived in the city.
“Downtown has changed tremendously. It's a true downtown area where the waterfront, Detroit River, is right there. There's so much to do, such a variety of shops, restaurants, bars,” he said.
The city of Wyandotte has a social district and at first, there were some concerns, but the chief says there have been no problems.
“There was apprehension at first because we're used to the concept that there is no open alcohol on public streets or sidewalks. That changes with the social district,” Zalewski said. “We have had no issues. The businesses police themselves, the persons, the patrons that are participating are responsible.”
Zalewski says much of his team is younger, but he’s proud of their work in the community.
“Now they're the foundation of our department. We're a younger force, so a lot of these officers, this is their first job in law enforcement,” he said. “They're very smart, they catch on very quick and I couldn’t be more proud to have all of them working for us.”
Mass shootings is a scenario Zalewski keeps in the back of his head, especially during training.
“It's the unknown, especially shooters in schools. Those are the scenarios that play through your head at training. Make sure all the officers are prepared in the event that there is a mass shooting or a mass incident that you're prepared for,” he said.
One thing the chief appreciates about Wyandotte is how the city supports each other and first responders.
“Our community really supports its first responders. People come up to you and say, hey, you're doing a great job, your department. I met officer so-and-so at this call and they were absolutely professional,” Zalewski recalled. “When you hear that your officers are doing a great job and it reflects back on you and your community.”
