Ferndale Police Chief Retires, Officer Fired In Shakeup

FERNDALE, MI — Ferndale Police Chief Timothy Collins is retiring, he announced Monday night at the Ferndale City Council meeting. His retirement is effective Friday, April 14, though he will reportedly receive his salary through November. According to the police department, Capt. Vincent Palazzolo will replace Collins and serve as interim chief starting April 15.

A 25-year veteran police officer under fire for misconduct was also ousted, according to a media report. Tuesday WDIV reported the switch up of the two personnel followed an investigation into how they handled a recent drunk driving cases, including when the Collins made the decision to let a drunk driver off the hook who blew more than twice the legal limit. The driver was reportedly the mother of a Detroit police officer, which likely granted her the lenience, the report said.

The lieutenant fired had reportedly been suspended late last year. According to the report, Officer Keith Thibodeau violated several regulations, including unbecoming conduct, insubordination, inattention to duty and incompetence. Mayor David Coulter said this is an example of an individual member of the police department not living up to the values the Ferndale community expects.

“I am deeply disappointed by this officer’s behavior,” he said in the statement. “Incidents like these have the potential to affect the community trust that is so critical to effective law enforcement.”

He added that Collins’ retirement concludes a distinguished 40-year career with the Ferndale Police Department.

“He has always put his department and the city first,” Coulter said, “and it is in that typical spirit that he has concluded, and I agree, that new leadership during this review (period) would be more effective.”

Read the full story at WDIV.

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