About the Dearborn Police Department

The City of Dearborn Police Department is a premier, full-service law enforcement agency with over 300 personnel. Recognized as a leader among police agencies in Michigan, the department provides a force of more than 180 highly trained officers with access to state-of-the-art police equipment. Since 2020, the Department has been an Accredited Law Enforcement Agency through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.

Mission: To provide a sense of security for the community and its visitors by protecting life and property, reducing the opportunity for crime and disorder, enforcing the law, and providing other policy-related services as needed.

Vision: Dearborn Police seek to be trusted leaders in the community we serve and among law enforcement by exemplifying professionalism, compassion, and innovation while being responsive to the evolving needs of our residents.

 

Dearborn Police Chief: Issa Shahin, appointed in January of 2022, is the Chief of Police for the Dearborn Police Department. During his 25-year career with Dearborn Police, Shahin served the department in many roles, including the commanding officer of the Investigative Division, a captain in the Investigative and Patrol Divisions, and a lieutenant in the Critical Incident and Community Support Unit. Between 2009 and 2013 Shahin was a sergeant in the Tactical Patrol Unit, and an ATF task force officer. Issa Shahin earned a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in political science and government, and a master's degree in homeland security and emergency management, from Eastern Michigan University (EMU). He is also a graduate of EMU's Police Staff & Command Executive Program. As leader of one of the largest police departments in Michigan, he strives to promote procedural justice, where officers and citizens alike are treated with dignity and respect, are given a voice, and can view their interactions with decision makers as neutral, transparent, and trustworthy.

 

Administrative Division

Commander Andrew Zelazny heads the Administration Division, which includes the Critical Incident Community Support Unit (CICSU), Neighborhood Police Officers, Traffic Unit, Ordinance, Animal Control, Training Office, Building and Fleet Management, Records, Information Technology Unit, FOIA, Intern Program, Explorer Program, Reserve Officer Program, and Dispatch. 

 

Investigative Division

Commander Timothy McHale heads the Investigative Division, which includes the Detective Bureau, Professional Standards Unit, Auto Theft Unit, Special Operations, Narcotics Bureau, Forensic Polygraph Unit, Technical Investigation Unit, Youth Bureau, Property Room, School Resource Officer (SRO) Program, Accreditation, Emergency Management, and Crime Lab.

  • Commanding Officer:  Commander Timothy McHale; 313-943-2237; tmchale@dearborn.gov 
  • Investigative Division:  313-943-2255

 

Patrol Division

Commander Madou Bazzi heads the Patrol Division, the Department's largest and most visible division. The patrol force consists of two platoons (Days and Nights) working overlapping 12-hour shifts. Both platoons are staffed with uniformed officers who perform preventative patrols, traffic enforcement operations, general citizen assistance, and immediate emergency response 24 hours a day. These officers conduct proactive, visible patrol operations on the streets and in the business centers throughout the city.

 

Support Units: The Dearborn Police Department’s Support Units include Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Crisis Negotiation Team, Bomb Squad, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Team, Honor Guard, Traffic Crash Reconstruction Team, Police Reserve Officers, and the Canine (K-9) Unit.

 

Citizen Complaints and Concerns: The Dearborn Police Department thoroughly investigates all citizen complaints and concerns. Individuals wishing to file a complaint against any member of the Police Department will be referred to a supervisor, who will explain the complaint process in detail and answer any questions. 
 


Formal Complaints: Citizens filing a formal complaint may complete the Citizen Complaint Form linked below. Completed forms can be emailed to Police-Complaints@dearborn.gov, or submitted in person, 24 hours a day, at the Dearborn Police Station.  Additionally, complaints can be submitted using the Online Citizen Complaint Form linked below.

If you have any complaints or concerns, you can directly contact the Chief of Police or Command Staff members via email or telephone. You can also do this anonymously.

 

Citizen Complaints and Concerns: Police-Complaints@dearborn.gov
Please note: this email address is for officer conduct concerns.

  • Chief of Police, Issa Shahin (313-943-2236, ishahin@dearborn.gov)
  • Patrol Division, Commander Madou Bazzi (313-943-2249, mbazzi@dearborn.gov)
  • Administrative Division, Commander Andrew Zelazny (313-943-2297, azelazny@dearborn.gov)
  • Investigative Division, Commander Timothy McHale (313-943-2237, tmchale@dearborn.gov)