Meet New Shores Public Safety Director: John Schulte

John Schulte is likely a familiar face to residents in Grosse Pointe Park, where he worked in the public safety department for years. Now he's hoping he'll get to know residents at the other end of the Pointes just as well as he takes on his new job as the director of public safety in Grosse Pointe Shores.

Schulte grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms and after marrying his wife, moved to Grosse Pointe Woods. The couple has remained in the Woods since—22 years—raising three children there.

His accomplishments in the Park are many and he's hoping to bring some of that expertise to the Shores. Schulte was officially sworn in in late January. He began his new job the next morning, Jan. 28. Many of the council members were present for his swearing in ceremony but he will be officially introduced tonight to the Grosse Pointe Shores council.

Leading to the Shores

Schulte retired from the Grosse Pointe Park Department of Public Safety in April 2010, when he served as the department's deputy director. He began with the department as a patrol officer in 1978.

He was promoted to sergeant, then lieutenant and in 2000 he became the officer in charge of the detective bureau. In 2001, he was promoted to deputy director, according to a letter of recommendation he included in his application to the Shores from Park manager Dale Krajniak and Mayor Palmer Heenan.

Schulte also helped develop the Special Response Team for the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods. The team is a multi-jurisdictional special weapons and tactics, or SWAT, for which he was the first Tactical Team Commander for 10 years.

He holds a masters degree in public administration and criminal justice from Wayne State University and a bachelor's in criminal justice. He also worked as an academic instructor for the Wayne County Regional Police Academy in the mid-1990s.

Goals as Director

Schulte has been meeting with the officers within the department since taking his post and learning about how the department operates. He has also been learning the new software system the department began using mid-2011.

Among his goals in his new position, Schulte wants to review the department's policies and procedures—a routine measure that should be done periodically in all departments, he said.

He feels fortunate that his predecessor, Stephen Poloni, left the department in good managerial shape, he said. Schulte has already met with the command staff to hear their ideas and thoughts. He intends to meet with each of the officers one-on-one as well, he said.

"I will not change (a policy or procedure) just to change it," Schulte said. During his time in the Park, he helped write some policies and procedures, an experience which he may use to draw upon in helping him do the same process in the Shores.

The two biggest topics he wants to review include use of force and vehicle operations, he said, noting these are the two issues that draw the most civil litigation for any police department.

He believes there is room for achieving more efficiencies among the Pointes related to all the ongoing discussion on consolidation of the public safety departments, he said.

His ultimate goal, however, is to make sure the level of services expected by residents are maintained in whatever form of consolidation the departments may eventually participate in, he said.

"We need to be smart about how we provide services," Schulte said. "Though whatever consolidation decisions we make, we must maintain public safety service."