Ferndale Promotes Palazzolo to Police Chief
Ferndale, MI  – Ferndale City Council voted Monday to approve the promotion of interim Police Chief Vincent Palazzolo to  Chief.  Palazzolo has been Interim Chief since the early retirement of Chief Timothy Collens in April.
City Manager April Lynch presented the recommendation, stating “He is a 23 year veteran of the department and has been in a leadership position for over 13 years. He has been the Captain of this department for almost three years and has been the interim Chief for the last four months.  During this time, he has shown extreme leadership, been a contributing member to our team and a community advocate,”
According to the recommendation, Lynch hopes to discuss terms of employment with Palazzolo and formally announce his promotion on Sept. 10, 2018.  The decision of hiring Department Heads is made by the City Manager, though Council needed to approve circumventing an external search in order to promote internally.
Lynch requested bypassing the typical hiring process in order to have stable leadership in place. The City hired an outside firm in May, KRW Associates, to look into the departments policies and procedures. Their recommendation was to appoint a Chief.  “They also encouraged the City to give Vincent Palazzolo consideration for this position,” Lynch said.
Palazzolo’s biography on the City of Ferndale website shares his experience and attributes.  “Vincent Palazzolo was named Ferndale’s interim chief of police in May of 2018 following a two-year tenure as the department’s Captain. A 23-year veteran of the force, Palazzolo is a 2017 graduate of the FBI National Academy, which selects law enforcement professionals with exemplary leadership qualities to improve and raise law enforcement standards in police departments and agencies worldwide.
Before joining the Ferndale Department in 1995, Palazzolo served briefly as an Officer for Huron Township after graduating from the police academy. He served 11 years total in the US military and deployed to Iraq with the Michigan Army National Guard as an Airborne Infantry soldier. Palazzolo served on the Oakland County Crime Suppression Task Force, as Team Commander of Southeast Oakland SWAT, and as Team Commander of the Oakland County Mobile Field Force. He has risen through the ranks at Ferndale PD as a Patrol Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain.
He is a member of the Michigan Association Chiefs of Police, the International Association Chiefs of Police and Veteran of Foreign Wars. He is a strong advocate for veterans, is involved with reintegration programs through physical fitness and veteran suicide prevention.
Palazzolo spearheaded the department’s community engagement focus—including the addition of a community engagement officer position—two years ago. He adheres to the six pillars of community policing set forth by the President’s task force on 21st Century Policing. His vision for a modern police department is performance with the highest integrity, ensuring that officers and staff operate efficiently and make smart decisions, safely, ethically, and morally.”
Learn more about the Ferndale Police Dept. on the City of Ferndale website.