Detroit Police Chief Fired
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Posted: 6:44 AM Jul 4, 2009
Detroit Police Chief Fired
Mayor Gives No Reason Yet
A source tells the AP Detroit Mayo Dave Bing has fired chief James Barren.
Reporter: AP
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DETROIT (AP) -- The mayor of Detroit is firing the city's police chief, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.

The person told the Associated Press that Mayor Dave Bing has told Police Chief James Barren that the chief is being relieved of his duties. The person talked with Barren on Friday, a day after a man arrested in the shooting of seven teenagers at a Detroit bus stop was released due to lack of evidence.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to publicly discuss Barren's dismissal. The person did not know when it was to become official.

"There have been no changes or announcements regarding changes at the Detroit Police Department at this time," Bing spokeswoman Karen Dumas said Friday.

A telephone listing for a James Barren in Detroit was not working. Messages were left with the police department.

Assistant Chief Ronald Fleming told the Detroit Free Press that Barren told him Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans would take over as chief starting Monday.

Evans did not immediately return a message from the AP. A voicemail box at a listing for Ronald Fleming in Detroit was full.

Word of Barren's firing came a day after an 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of shooting the teens at the bus stop was released because Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy determined there was a lack of evidence. Barren had said the man was identified as a suspect after investigators spoke with victims of Tuesday's shooting and another person with knowledge of the incident.

No other arrests have been made.

Interim Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. promoted Barren from deputy chief to head of the police force in the nation's 11th-largest city in September. He succeeded Ella Bully-Cummings, who announced her retirement after the man who appointed her, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, pleaded guilty to two felony obstruction charges in a sex-and-misconduct scandal.

Barren, who has a doctoral degree, said he wanted to raise officer morale.

Bing defeated Cockrel in a May 5 runoff to serve out the remainder of Kilpatrick's second term, which ends in December. He and five other candidates face off in an Aug. 5 primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the Nov. 3 general election.
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  • Posted By: Sandi: to all of you who voted for Virg. Well most of the jobs went to out of town workers, like the guys who did the streets, from OHIO!, the workers down town who are from all over but Lansing. The people who have tried to work with him in neighborhoods know that its either his way or his way. He does not care what was told or promised to you, he makes sure it's his way. If you don't like it TOO BAD FOR YOU!! If you opossed him on something gee something is not right in you neighborhood and it is not the citys fault. You and your neighbors are doing something ilegal. How do I know? I have one of the letters they sent to my neighborhood. Good Luck Lansing
  • Posted By: : Congradulations to the City of Lansing! You re-elected someone who is totally beyond belief. A man who thinks if your a developer your the best thing to happen to the city, even it your less than honest. But if your a home owner who lives here... So you wanted him and we are now stuck with him for another 4 years. A man who went into QD for donuts, and had to have the clerk put them in a box for him because he did not know how. What a great guy for the mayor. Most of you have never had to try to deal with him, for fight him and his people for what was promised to them and then changed. You wait your turns are comming.
  • Posted By: Brad: BOY THATS JUST GREAT. I GUESS I'LL NEVER WORK IN LANSING THE NEXT FOR YEARS,BUTIM SURE VIRG WILL HIRE THE SCABS FROM GRAND RAPIDS AND HEAR HOW GREAT THE CITY IS DOING. THANKS VIRG FOR YOUR GREATGUIDENCE AND FABULOUS LIESD
  • Posted By: k: I think you people are neglecting the real culprit for Lansing's troubles as well as the state of Michigan.Look who we have in the capitol sitting there in her office,telling us all a bunch of lies and making promises that she knows she can't keep. Don't be so hard on our Mayor when it's our governor who needs to be scrutinized.
  • Posted By: Bill: My condolances to the residents of Lansing. You had your chance to rid yourself of your major embarrasment but chose not to. I hope it does not come back to haunt you in the next 4 loooooong years.
  • Posted By: Bill: GREAT! ! ! Michigan is still going to end up downhill. Why dont we just re-elect Granholm for Governor? Better off, why not elect Jim carry for president?, since this all seems to be such a comical situation... GO MICHIGAN! ! ! Move here!, NO JOBS! but it is such a pretty state.. Keep up the good work VIRG! ! Why cant you people making thousands take a cut? I personally think because taking from the middle class and the poor puts so much more in your pockets 2 thumbs down for you and our Govenor. Best wishes on continuing to bring down our state.
  • Posted By: Bill: Thank GOD that Carol Wood did not win! Anyone who thinks that neighborhoods generate revenue needs to get their head out of the clouds and take an introductory economics course. Jobs come BEFORE better neighborhoods, not the other way around.
  • Posted By: Shocked...: Congrats Virg...and I mean that with the utmost sarcarism...I do not live within the city of Lansing, thus could not vote but had I been able to I would not have voted for him. I am a city of Lansing employee and Virg has done NOTHING for the cities employees but cut jobs, benefits...take take take. Nor for the city in general...His motto in the last election was "Lansing Works" ironic that ALL of the construction on Michigan ave was done by scab's from Grand Rapids, and let's mention all the mums he planted along that road to the tune of $30,000.00 that only lasted one year and then died because they were not properly winterized, so the next spring they all got dug up, thrown away and more were planted to the tune of another $30,000.00. Tax payers money hard at work there. City employees have been working without a contract for nearly three years, no raises in site but his staff got a 20% increase last year alone...WAY to GO Virg...shame on you and your corrupt misguided politics...
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