Benny Napoleon

Benny N. Napoleon has dedicated nearly four decades to public service, possesses leadership experience in both law enforcement and county government, and is a practicing attorney. His focus has been on community education and crime prevention, and believes that collaboration among municipalities, businesses, community groups and residents are key to protecting the public during these tough economic times.

Napoleon was educated in the Detroit Public School system and graduated from Cass Technical High School. He joined the Detroit Police Department in 1975 as a trainee police officer and was admitted to the Detroit Police Academy in June 1975. He served the Detroit Police Department in many patrol, investigative, undercover and administrative capacities. He began his career walking a beat in the Second (Vernor) Precinct. He quickly rose through the ranks of the police department, being promoted to sergeant in 1983; to lieutenant in 1985; to inspector in 1987; to commander in 1993; to deputy chief in 1994; to assistant chief in 1995; and was appointed Chief of Police by the Honorable Mayor Dennis W. Archer in 1998.

After more than 26 years of distinguished service, Chief Napoleon retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2001. In 2004, Napoleon was named Assistant Wayne County Executive to help facilitate the administration of the nation’s 13th largest county. He served in that role until his appointment as Wayne County Sheriff in July 2009. In November 2010, Napoleon received an overwhelming 73% the vote to retain the position of Sheriff through the 2012 term.

Some highlights of Napoleon’s law enforcement career include supervising the investigation that led to the successful apprehension and prosecution of the parties responsible for the felonious assault on international figure skating champion, Nancy Kerrigan; supervising the investigation that led to the swift apprehension of ten escapees from the Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit; and drafting and implementing a crime reduction plan which led to an unprecedented 30% reduction in violent crime in the City of Detroit during his three-year tenure as Chief of Police.

Napoleon earned his Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement, Cum Laude, from Mercy College of Detroit in 1980; his B.A. in Criminal Justice, Cum Laude, from Mercy College of Detroit in 1982; and his Juris Doctor Degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 1986. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy; the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection School; the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command; the Aresty Institute of Executive Development at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education in which he was awarded a certificate of completion for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program in July 2011. He is also a member of the State Bar of Michigan and has been licensed to practice law since 1987.

Napoleon has also served the community as a baseball coach for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Michigan; a basketball coach for the Detroit Police Athletic League; a student mentor for the Detroit Public Schools; chaired the Michigan Civil Rights Commission; and is a life member of the NAACP. He is also an attorney with a private legal practice, 33rd Degree Mason, Prince Hall Affiliate and serves as an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Phoenix (Detroit Campus). Benny Napoleon’s awards and honors are too numerous to list.