Who is Ralph Godbee?

Ralph Godbee will now serve as interim chief of the Detroit Police Department after the resignation of Police Chief Warren Evans.  The following is his bio from the Detroit Police Department:

Assistant Chief Ralph L. Godbee, Jr. was appointed to the Detroit Police Department on May 18, 1987. During his tenure at the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy, he was awarded the high scholastic award, top marksman award, class president and was selected to recite the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics at the graduation of class 87-R.

In July of 1995, Assistant Chief Godbee was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned as the Commanding Officer of the Executive Protection Unit. In January of 1999, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the Recruiting Unit. In July of 2001, then Lieutenant Godbee was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the Personnel/Recruiting Section.

On March 18, 2002, then Chief of Police Jerry A. Oliver, Sr. assigned Lieutenant Godbee as the Acting Commander of the Detroit Police Department's First Precinct. Assistant Chief Godbee is the only Lieutenant in the modern history of the Detroit Police Department to ever take on the responsibility of being the Commanding Officer of one of Detroit's Police Precincts. Lieutenant Godbee served in this role until April 16, 2002.

Among the achievements that Assistant Chief Godbee is proudest of in his professional career is the oversight involved in hiring over 1,200 police officers from January 1999 until July 2002. Close to 30% of the Department's over then 4,200 sworn members were hired under Assistant Chief Godbee's leadership in the Recruiting Unit and the Personnel/Recruiting Section.

In August of 2002, Assistant Chief Godbee was appointed to the rank of Inspector as a part of the Detroit Police Department's most sweeping re-organization in its history. Shortly thereafter in November of 2002, Assistant Chief Godbee was appointed to the rank of Commander where he served as Commander of the Detroit Police Department's Ninth Precinct.

Assistant Chief Godbee moved on from the 9th Precinct to serve as the Commanding Officer of the Risk and Policy Management Division of the Detroit Police Department and subsequent to that assignment served as the Officer in Charge of the Risk Management Bureau as the Acting Deputy Chief.

Assistant Chief Godbee was appointed to the rank of Deputy Chief on March 21, 2005 and served as the Deputy Chief of the Eastern Operations Bureau and on September 26, 2005, Deputy Chief Godbee was assigned to the Eastern District which is a result of the merger of the Fifth (5) and Ninth (9) precincts.

Assistant Chief Godbee moved on from the Eastern District and was appointed to his current rank on April 26, 2007, and served as the Assistant Chief of Administrative Portfolio, under the leadership of Chief of Police Ella M. Bully-Cummings.

Assistant Chief Godbee retired from the Detroit Police Department on September 25, 2008 to pursue a career in consulting.

On July 6, 2009, Assistant Chief Godbee was reappointed to his current rank and serves as the Assistant Chief of Administrative Portfolio, under the leadership of Chief of Police Warren C. Evans.

Assistant Chief Godbee received his Associate of Arts Degree, from Wayne County Community College District, graduating with honors in April of 2000. He also was concurrently working on and received his Bachelor of Applied Science Degree, in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration from Siena Heights University in August of 2000, graduating with honors. Assistant Chief Godbee recently received his Master of Arts Degree, from Siena Heights University on December 31, 2006.