Petri is proud of HFC students, will keep teaching after retirement from police force
Michael Petri, who has taught criminal justice at HFC since 2003, recently retired as the chief of police of the Dearborn Heights Police Dept. (DHPD). He is succeeded by Chief Mark Meyers.
Petri, of South Lyon, served as a police officer from 1987-2020, spending his entire career in Dearborn Heights. He started as a cadet and was promoted to the rank of police officer in 1988. Petri rose through the ranks of the DHPD. In 1997, he was promoted to detective sergeant. In 2015, he was promoted to captain. In 2017, he was promoted to deputy chief under his predecessor, Dan Voltattorni. In late 2019, Petri was promoted to chief, serving from Nov. 21, 2019 to May 26, 2020.
Petri explained the reason he only served six months as chief was because it was part of a succession plan to get the command ranks filled. When DHPD police chief Lee Gavin retired in 2018, Voltattorni succeeded him and served one year before retiring, followed by Petri. Gavin, Voltattorni, and Petri were all part of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) and were working with set contracts.
“I’ve got more than 33 years in,” said Petri. “Contractually, it’s time. It’s mandatory retirement.”
Petri’s background
During his career in law enforcement, Petri served as a field training officer, a precision driving instructor, a precision immobilization technique instructor, an advanced evidence technician, an undercover operations/narcotics officer, a detective, and a member of the DHPD Honor Guard.
A Detroit native, Petri is a graduate of Livonia Franklin High School. He earned his associate degree and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Madonna University in Livonia. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Petri is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in Evanston, IL.
In the last decade – particularly the last five years – there had been a significant turnover in the DHPD (as well as Southeast Michigan in general) in terms of the number of police officers. Many officers went to another force, took mandatory retirement, or left the law enforcement profession.
“The demand for quality police officers was not being met. There had been a lack of interest in the field. That was the atmosphere we found ourselves in after 9/11 and the (2008) recession. There was a lot of misinformation out there, primarily driven by social media, about police officers,” said Petri.
When he became captain, Petri was determined to make sure the DHPD was fully staffed by the time he retired.
“That would be the No. 1 thing I wanted to accomplish when I left the DHPD as the chief of police,” he said. “There are a lot of police departments out there, including Dearborn Heights, that pay well and allow you to make a career out of it.”
In fact, a lot of recruits were pulled from the CJ classes Petri taught at the College. He is happy that there are good officers in not only the police ranks, but also the command division.
Catalyst for change
“Being a police officer is never an easy job, even without these challenges we’re currently facing. Given these times, the new police officers can be a catalyst for change. They are the ones who’ll be the future police of this country,” said Petri. “We now have a good, solid force at the DHPD – I’m proud we accomplished that, especially given the circumstances the DHPD was in.”
Cliché as it may sound, the best part of Petri’s job was being able to help people who truly needed it, whether it was getting a victim of domestic violence out of their situation or helping a drug addict get into a rehab program.
“When the system actually works and you see a domestic violence victim no longer tortured, tormented, or scared, that’s rewarding,” he said. “The job’s never finished – there will always be another case. But to truly help someone, to feel that you did something really of value and made a difference in a person’s life – that’s the reward of this job.”
No plans to retire from HFC
While he may have retired from the DHPD, Petri has no plans to retire from HFC.
“I love teaching at the College. I’ve met so many kids over the years who have progressed in their law enforcement careers, many going on to work in Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Livonia – all over the place,” he said.
Petri is proud of the way his students have handled abruptly switching to an online format because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve got a great student body here at the College, and we will get through this. I was impressed by the way my students responded when the College was turned upside down by the pandemic. They stepped up. This shows the wherewithal students had to get things done,” said Petri. “HFC has such a diverse student body. You get so many different perspectives from so many students. Some of the things I’ve learned from my students has helped me in my profession and has helped me in understanding the community we live in and work in as well. I’ve learned just as much from my students as they have from me.”