Crime & Safety
Birmingham Police Chief to Retire May 27 After 42 Years
"We've helped a lot of people in the past 42 years," retiring chief says. "We've had some great success and also a few crushing failures."
BIRMINGHAM, MI – For the first time in more than four decades, Birmingham will have a new police chief.
Police Chief Don Studt has announced that he will retire at the end of May, closing the door on a 42-year career in law enforcement, all of it spent in Birmingham.
The Birmingham City Commission named Deputy Police Chief Mark Clemence as Studt’s successor, The Birmingham Eccentric reports.
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Studt’s last day on the job is May 27.
Studt had taken two years of classes at a local community college when he applied for a job as a Birmingham in 1974.
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He called the last 42 years “a tremendous run.”
“We have a great crew here,” he said. “Over the years there have been some characters, but that just adds to it. … We’ve helped a lot of people in the past 42 years. We’ve had some great success and also a few crushing failures.”
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