Brian Kerrigan appointed as Port Huron's new police chief

Port Huron Police Department Assistant Chief Brian Kerrigan will be the department's 33rd police chief.

City Manager James Freed announced his choice to have Kerrigan replace retiring Police Chief Joe Platzer during a news conference Thursday.

During that conference, Freed applauded Kerrigan's 24 years with the Port Huron Police Department. He said Kerrigan met the three criteria he had for a police chief: moral integrity, the proper credentials, and a vision for how to lead a department in the 21st century.

Mayor Pauline Repp said she had seen Kerrigan's career play out from the beginning.

More: Port Huron Police Chief Joe Platzer announces his retirement

"We will be very sorry to see Chief Platzer go, I want to say that up front," Repp said. "But if we're going to pass the baton, there's no one better than Brian Kerrigan to pass it to."

Kerrigan, who began as assistant chief in 2022 after the retirement of Marcy Kuehn, began in the cadet program in 1997 while attending St. Clair County Community College. He officially joined the police department as a patrol officer in 1999, and graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He later completed Michigan State University's Staff and Command program.

Throughout his career Kerrigan has worked as a field-training officer and as a member of the drug task force. As a detective, Kerrigan worked with the major crimes unit. He continued to rise through the ranks until he was promoted to captain in 2021.

Platzer congratulated Kerrigan on his promotion to chief, saying they had worked closely together for five years, giving Kerrigan the experience to lead the department in his place.

Kerrigan thanked Platzer, Freed, and Repp, his family, and the officers and staff of the Port Huron Police Department.

"I look forward to continuing this journey with you," Kerrigan said.

Platzer said his last day as police chief will be Sunday, and that Kerrigan would officially take over the department Monday morning. A public reception is planned for Aug. 22 to honor Platzer's career and retirement.

"We've led the department in a direction that's very positive, and I know that he'll continue with his visions," Platzer said. "I've spoken with him, and I'm excited to see what he does with the department."

Freed said during a previous conference that he had asked Platzer to stay on a few extra years for the sake of the department. On Thursday he said it would be bittersweet to see him leave for retirement.

"I told my wife this is more difficult than putting the family dog down," Freed said.

Freed acknowledged Kerrigan's promotion would be followed by more promotions for other officers to fill command posts. Kerrigan said he planned to make an announcement of a new assistant police chief in September.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Brian Kerrigan appointed as Port Huron's new police chief