New Woods Director of Public Safety Sworn In

Pointer Andrew Pazuchowski will start his duties as the new director of public safety for Grosse Pointe Woods Tuesday after being approved and sworn in by city council Monday.

Pazuchowski retired from the department about five weeks ago. His new role, which will pay $75,000, is to oversee all of the public safety department. He replaces interim chief and current city manager Al Fincham. 

Many former and current officers as well as his wife attended the ceremony. Pazuchowski has worked for the department since 1986. He has an associate's degree as a paramedic, a bachelor's from Central Michigan University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. 

During his time with the Woods department, Pazuchowski was promoted to the corporal rank in 1994 and then to sergeant in 1999, when he also took over as the commander for the detective bureau. He was also a founder of the Special Response Team, more commonly referred to as the SWAT team. 

Fincham noted Pazuchowski's ability to work well with others, including himself when he joined the city from outside. 

As part of his employment, Pazuchowski will be allowed to use a city vehicle when he is conducting city business but he is expected not to take one home, Fincham told council members before his swearing in. This is a practice Fincham instituted when he took the job when historically the chief has always had a take-home car. 

Pazuchowski will not be working on a second pension with his new position and will earn sick and vacation days as the rest of the employees do, Fincham said. He will start at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday with a staff meeting, Fincham said. 

"I look forward to working with him," Fincham said. 

Detective Sgt. Raymond A. Yonkowski took over as commander of the detective bureau last week, replacing Pazuchowski's old position, Fincham said.

Yonkowski has been with the department since May 1987, when he began as a paramedic. He was hired as a police officer in January 1989. He worked as a patrol officer until the early 1990s, when he was assigned to the traffic enforcement unit and then in 1996 he was assigned to the detective bureau. In 2000 he was promoted to corporal ranking, then to sergeant in 2001. 

Yonkowski took over the detective bureau last month and wants to ensure the detectives keep up on technology and investigative techniques, he said.