Wayne Drummond is officially Cleveland's Director of Public Safety

After filling the role on a temporary basis since February, Wayne Drummond is now the permanent Director of Public Safety for Cleveland.

Mayor Justin Bibb announced that Drummond was sworn into the position on Monday afternoon.

“Chief Director Drummond is an incomparable and well-respected leader with deep institutional knowledge and a strong commitment to keeping this city safe,” said Bibb. “As the interim director he has been a trusted advisor to me and a fair, transparent, and forward-thinking leader of his department. It is for these reasons that I named him Chief of Police back in 2022 and, once again, I unquestionably believe that he is the best person to serve as our next safety director.”

Drummond accepted the role on an interim basis earlier this year.

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Drummond, who has spent 33 years at the Division of Police in different roles and leadership positions, said that when he was a rookie patrol officer, he never envisioned becoming police chief. A native of Jamaica, Drummond and his family moved to Cleveland when he was a child.

Drummond graduated from John Hay High School before getting his degree at the University of Toledo.

The mayor has lauded him for being more of a public servant than a politician.

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How did Drummond become the interim Public Safety Directory?

Earlier this year, Karrie Howard resigned from his position as Public Safety Director of Cleveland after the Assistant Safety Director was involved in a crash in a city-owned vehicle in Warrensville Heights.

Jakimah Dye’s driving privileges were suspended, and an internal investigation was launched after she rear-ended another vehicle on the afternoon of Feb. 17. Warrensville Heights Police told News 5 that there were children in the car at the time of the crash.

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