Ella Bully-Cummings
Encyclopedia
Ella M. Bully-Cummings became the first female police chief of Detroit, the tenth-largest police force in the United States
, when Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
appointed her on November 3, 2003.
She is married to Attorney William Cummings, a retired Detroit police commander. She was previously married to former Wayne County
Sheriff
, former Detroit Police Chief Warren C. Evans.
, the second-oldest of eight children of an African American
repairman and a Japanese housewife. Her parents met when her father was serving in the U.S. Army as part of the American Occupation forces. The family settled in Detroit, her Mississippi
-born father's adopted hometown, before she turned two.
The family struggled financially and at one point the large family lived in a one-bedroom apartment. However, Chief Bully-Cummings credits her father with encouraging her, her six sisters, and one brother to get their education and pursue whatever they wanted.
While in high school she worked at a movie theater and between graduating from high school and going into the police force in 1977 she worked as an administrative assistant at Redford High School and sold real estate.
, and is a graduate of Cass Technical High School
. Bully-Cummings helped her parents pay for her siblings' education through early years on the police force. She went to college herself while still serving on the police force after helping to pay for five of her siblings. In December 1993 Bully-Cummings graduated with honors from Madonna University
with a bachelor's degree in public administration. She then went on to graduate cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law
with a J.D. in January 1998 and was sworn into the State Bar of Michigan in May 1998.
as a receptionist, secretary, and administrative assistant when hundreds of police officers were laid-off due to budget cuts.
In July 1999 retired from the department to become a staff attorney first at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC, then at Foley & Lardner
, and finally back at Miller Canfield. She represented management in employment cases that involved federal and state discrimination.
In 2002 she was called back into service by Mayor Kilpatrick as an Assistant Chief of Police, the first female appointed to assistant chief position in Detroit. She was charged with overseeing Management Services, Training, Personnel, Science & Technology, and Risk Management bureaus, collectively called the Administrative Portfolio.
After the resignation of Chief Jerry Oliver in 2003, Bully-Cummings was appointed as interim chief. She became permanent in 2004.
, Chief of Staff Christine Beatty
and police chief Bully-Cummings were named in a slander lawsuit brought about by Detroit Police officers Zack Weishuhn and Patrick Tomsic, who claimed that they were slandered in the media by city officials.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2004 incident in which the two police officers pulled Beatty over for speeding. The officers claimed that Beatty was irate at being stopped and bluntly asked the officers, "Do you know who the fuck I am?" when the officers came to the vehicle. The officers alleged that, while stopped, Beatty called Police Chief Bully-Cummings to have the officers called off, which they were ordered to do. When reports of the incident started to surface in the media, Kilpatrick, Beatty and Bully-Cummings all claimed that the traffic stop was some type of "set-up" to harass Beatty.
As part of a settlement, the Detroit City Council voted to approve a $25,000 mediation recommendation to the two officers in February 2008, after previously rejecting the settlement twice.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, when Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
appointed her on November 3, 2003.
She is married to Attorney William Cummings, a retired Detroit police commander. She was previously married to former Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, former Detroit Police Chief Warren C. Evans.
Early years
Bully-Cummings was born in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the second-oldest of eight children of an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
repairman and a Japanese housewife. Her parents met when her father was serving in the U.S. Army as part of the American Occupation forces. The family settled in Detroit, her Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
-born father's adopted hometown, before she turned two.
The family struggled financially and at one point the large family lived in a one-bedroom apartment. However, Chief Bully-Cummings credits her father with encouraging her, her six sisters, and one brother to get their education and pursue whatever they wanted.
While in high school she worked at a movie theater and between graduating from high school and going into the police force in 1977 she worked as an administrative assistant at Redford High School and sold real estate.
Education
She attended Henry Ford Junior High School in Highland Park, MichiganHighland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, and is a graduate of Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
. Bully-Cummings helped her parents pay for her siblings' education through early years on the police force. She went to college herself while still serving on the police force after helping to pay for five of her siblings. In December 1993 Bully-Cummings graduated with honors from Madonna University
Madonna University
Madonna University is a private, non-profit, Catholic university located in suburban Livonia, Michigan, on the western perimeter of metropolitan Detroit. Conducted by the Felician Sisters, it has extension campuses in Southwest Detroit, Orchard Lake, Michigan Madonna University is a private,...
with a bachelor's degree in public administration. She then went on to graduate cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law
Michigan State University College of Law
The Michigan State University College of Law is a private law school located in East Lansing, Michigan which is affiliated with Michigan State University...
with a J.D. in January 1998 and was sworn into the State Bar of Michigan in May 1998.
Career
Bully-Cummings entered the police academy in 1977. She rose to the rank of sergeant in 1987. She continued her rise in the department by making lieutenant in 1993 and commander in 1998. In the mid-1980s she worked for the Detroit Free PressDetroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
as a receptionist, secretary, and administrative assistant when hundreds of police officers were laid-off due to budget cuts.
In July 1999 retired from the department to become a staff attorney first at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC, then at Foley & Lardner
Foley & Lardner
Foley & Lardner LLP is an international law firm started in 1842. According to The American Lawyer, the firm ranked 39th on The American Lawyer's 2011 AmLaw 100 rankings of U.S. law firms, with $633,000,000 in gross revenue in 2010. Foley & Lardner has been in The American Lawyer's annual AmLaw 100...
, and finally back at Miller Canfield. She represented management in employment cases that involved federal and state discrimination.
In 2002 she was called back into service by Mayor Kilpatrick as an Assistant Chief of Police, the first female appointed to assistant chief position in Detroit. She was charged with overseeing Management Services, Training, Personnel, Science & Technology, and Risk Management bureaus, collectively called the Administrative Portfolio.
After the resignation of Chief Jerry Oliver in 2003, Bully-Cummings was appointed as interim chief. She became permanent in 2004.
Justice Department investigation
The Detroit Police are now under the supervision of U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. until 2008 per a U.S. Justice Department investigation.Restructuring of Detroit Police Department
Bully-Cummings was held in contempt of court in late 2005 for not reinstating four inspectors and three commanders, who were let go as a part of the restructuring of the police department to save money. A total of 150 police personnel were laid off. http://www.lineofduty.com/blotterstory.asp?StoryID=81512Slander suit
Mayor Kwame KilpatrickKwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
, Chief of Staff Christine Beatty
Christine Beatty
Christine Rowland Beatty served as the Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2008 to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.In January 2008, Beatty resigned amid an emerging political-sex scandal and criminal charges of perjury related to a whistleblower trial for lying under oath about their extramarital affair...
and police chief Bully-Cummings were named in a slander lawsuit brought about by Detroit Police officers Zack Weishuhn and Patrick Tomsic, who claimed that they were slandered in the media by city officials.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2004 incident in which the two police officers pulled Beatty over for speeding. The officers claimed that Beatty was irate at being stopped and bluntly asked the officers, "Do you know who the fuck I am?" when the officers came to the vehicle. The officers alleged that, while stopped, Beatty called Police Chief Bully-Cummings to have the officers called off, which they were ordered to do. When reports of the incident started to surface in the media, Kilpatrick, Beatty and Bully-Cummings all claimed that the traffic stop was some type of "set-up" to harass Beatty.
As part of a settlement, the Detroit City Council voted to approve a $25,000 mediation recommendation to the two officers in February 2008, after previously rejecting the settlement twice.
Resignation
On September 4, 2008, Bully-Cummings announced her retirement minutes after Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury and resigned from office as part of a plea deal. Bully-Cummings offered to assist her successor in transitioning to the duties of Police Chief if asked to do so.Resources
- Official Detroit Chief of Police webpage
- Ebony, March 2004 article
- ABC News Person of the Week from November 2003
- Gale group Black History resource
- USATODAY from March 2004
- Associated Press article
- September 2004 Essence article
- Hackney, Suzette and Schmitt, Ben (with Audi, Tamara). "New chief lays down the law: Preferring progress over praise, she has changes planned" Detroit Free Press, November 8, 2003, 1A.
- Hackney, Suzette and Schaefer, Jim. "Native Detroiter worked her way up" Detroit Free Press, November 4, 2003, 1A.