(This story has been updated.)
The city of Warren, Michigan's third largest, is slated to get a new police commissioner, but it's a familiar name in metro Detroit.
Eric Hawkins, a former Southfield police chief who is currently the police chief in Albany, New York, is being appointed as Warren's new police commissioner, Warren Mayor Lori Stone announced Wednesday.
The news comes after a national search, per Stone's release. It did not state how much Hawkins would be paid.
Hawkins has more than 33 years' experience in law enforcement, it states, of which 27 years were with Southfield police, including six years as chief, where he helped reduce crime and strengthen relationships between police and the school system.
Hawkins started his career with Southfield police in 1990 as a police cadet and was appointed a sworn police officer in 1991. He was appointed chief in 2012 and created citizen and youth police academies as well as a Citizens Advisory Board, according to his biography provided by the city of Warren .
He retired from Southfield and became police chief in Albany in 2018, where he played a role in modernizing that department's operations, including upgrading technology and infrastructure, as well as an initiative focusing on officer wellness, according to information provided by the city of Warren. It indicates his career accomplishments reflect a commitment to community-centered policing.
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Those accomplishments include a paid police cadet program, an internationally recognized police therapy dog program, and a program that allows residents to help train police academy recruits, per his biography. He also oversaw the acquisition of a new police training facility, infrastructure updates to police headquarters and the communications center, and the integration of certified social workers into police operations.
The city of Albany posted a release on its website Wednesday that Hawkins would be leaving the department at the beginning of December. He was appointed chief in the New York capital in September 2018 and is the longest serving police chief there in more than 40 years, it states.
It adds that Hawkins led Albany police through the implementation of policing reforms. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan stated gun violence is down, a record number of illegal guns have been taken off the streets and the department is closing homicide cases at nearly double the national average. Hawkins also played a role in programs such as Pastors on Patrol and the creation of New York state's largest Crime Analysis Center located within Albany police headquarters.
Hawkins oversaw the buildout of a new 911 dispatch center, per the Albany release, as well as a police cadet program and civilian auxiliary program.
Albany has about 100,000 residents, which is fewer than the city of Warren. Like Southfield, Warren is an inner-ring suburb of Detroit.
Stone states that Hawkins "has demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to public safety, innovation, and community collaboration throughout his distinguished career. We are excited to welcome him as the leader of our police department as we continue to focus on building a safer and stronger community."
Hawkins earned a law degree from Cooley Law School, a master's degree in administration and a bachelor's degree in public administration, both from Central Michigan University, and an associate degree in business administration from Oakland University. He graduated from the FBI National Academy and the FBI Command Institute for Police Executives among other programs.
Warren Police Commissioner Charles Rushton, who has been with the department for 25 years, has been serving as acting police commissioner for months.
In March, Stone fired former Police Commissioner William Dwyer, who spent nearly six decades in law enforcement in metro Detroit. Dwyer's firing came ahead of his mutually agreed upon retirement in April and after he and Stone disagreed on how Warren's openings for new officers should be filled, the Free Press previously reported.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: City of Warren's new police commissioner was Southfield police chief for 6 years
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