DETROIT (WXYZ) — It was a night of goodbyes and new beginnings at the District 6 Charter-Mandated meeting at Kingdom Apostolic Ministries in Detroit Wednesday. Police Chief James White addressed the city for the first time since the announcement of his new role as CEO of Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
On Wednesday, the DWIHN Board of Directors voted unanimously to name White their next CEO.
Watch our report from earlier in the day about the announcement in the video player below:
White received a standing ovation by Detroit residents and city leaders at the Charter-Mandated meeting as he gears up for the new role.
"To this community, thank you for allowing me to be your chief for three and a half years. It has been one of the highlights of my professional career. It is something I will always remember," the chief said.
At the meeting, Mayor Mike Duggan discussed the first conversation he had with White when he first expressed interest in the CEO position.
“When there was a vacancy in the position and Chief James White came to me and said 'my dream in life is to run that clinic health agency,' I had mixed feelings because he’s been an outstanding police chief," Duggan said.
Detroiters like Brian Cosley were satisfied with White's leadership and hope the next chief picks up where he left off.
“He came out every week doing his walks with the community. I think the officers need to get more involved in their area, in their precinct, in their patrol. I think that would help out a lot," Cosley said.
White leaves behind a legacy of prioritizing mental health within the department, but he’s not going anywhere quite yet.
"I'm going to be here with the transition. It's not going to be when I leave, I'm just done. I'm only a phone call away," he said.
Hear more from White when we spoke with him earlier in the day in the video player below:
Duggan says he’ll be speaking to each member of the Board of Police Commissioners over the next few days and will name an interim chief by the end of next week.
A national search for the new chief of police will follow.
