Ella Bully-Cummings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ella M. Bully-Cummings
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|---|---|
| Born | 1958 (age 67–68) |
| Police career | |
| Department |  Detroit Police Department |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  State of Michigan |
| Years of service | 1977–2008 |
| Rank | Sworn in as an officer (1977) Sergeant (1987) Lieutenant (1993) Inspector (1995) Commander (1998) Assistant chief (2002) Chief of police (2003–2008) |
Ella M. Bully-Cummings is an American police officer. She was born in 1958. She served as the top police officer, known as the chief of the Detroit Police Department, from 2003 to 2008.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Ella Bully-Cummings was born in Japan. She was the second of eight children. Her father was an African American repairman. Her mother was a Japanese American chef. Her parents met when her father was in the U.S. Army in Japan.
Her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, before she was two years old. Detroit was her father's hometown. While in high school, she worked at a movie theater. After high school, she worked as an assistant at Redford High School. She also sold real estate before joining the police force in 1977.
Ella went to Henry Ford Junior High School. She graduated from Cass Technical High School. She helped her parents pay for her siblings' education. She did this during her early years as a police officer. Later, she went to college herself. In 1993, she earned a bachelor's degree in public administration. She graduated with honors from Madonna University. She then went to law school. In 1998, she earned her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. She became a lawyer in Michigan that same year.
Her Journey in Policing
Ella Bully-Cummings joined the police academy in 1977. In the mid-1980s, many police officers lost their jobs. This was due to money problems. During this time, she worked at the Detroit Free Press newspaper. She was a receptionist and assistant.
When she returned to the police force, she quickly moved up. She became a sergeant in 1987. She was promoted to lieutenant in 1993. In 1998, she became a commander.
In 1999, she left the police department for a short time. She worked as a lawyer for different law firms. She helped companies with employee issues.
In 2002, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asked her to return. She came back as an Assistant Chief of Police. She was the first woman to hold this high position in Detroit. She was in charge of many important police services. These included training, personnel, and technology.
Leading the Detroit Police
In 2003, the police chief resigned. Ella Bully-Cummings was chosen to be the temporary chief. She became the permanent Chief of Police in 2004.
Under her leadership, the Detroit Police Department made big improvements. In 2004, major crimes in Detroit went down a lot. This was the biggest drop in 41 years. Violent crimes also decreased by 15.2%.
The Detroit Police Department was watched by a US District Judge. This was because of an earlier investigation. In 2005, Bully-Cummings faced a challenge. She had to let go of some police staff to save money. A judge ordered her to rehire some of them. She did not do this right away. This led to a legal issue where she was found to have not followed the judge's order.
A Legal Dispute
In 2008, a legal dispute involved Ella Bully-Cummings. Two Detroit police officers claimed they were unfairly spoken about by city officials. This happened after they stopped a city official for speeding. The officers said they were told to stop their traffic stop. When news of this came out, Bully-Cummings said the officers had harassed the official. The mayor also commented on the incident.
The city council later agreed to a settlement. The two officers received money to resolve the dispute.
On September 4, 2008, Ella Bully-Cummings announced her retirement. This happened shortly after Mayor Kilpatrick resigned due to legal reasons. She offered to help the next police chief.
Important Achievements and Awards
Ella Bully-Cummings has received several awards. In 2005, she received the "History Maker in the Making" Award. This award came from General Motors and Black Entertainment Television. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This was from the National Center for Women and Policing.
Personal Life
Ella Bully-Cummings is married to William Cummings. He is a lawyer and a retired Detroit police commander. She was previously married to Warren Evans. He was a former Wayne County Sheriff and also a former Detroit Police Chief.
