Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue Retires
The City of Royal Oak announces today the retirement of Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue, after 29 years of service. Chief O’Donohue was first hired as a Patrol Officer in 1993, and after serving as Deputy Chief, he became the Police Chief in 2011. To provide an orderly transition during the change in leadership at the Royal Oak Police Department, O’Donohue will perform consulting services for the City of Royal Oak through May of 2022. His retirement will begin immediately for both of his roles as the Police Chief and Assistant City Manager for the City of Royal Oak.
Deputy Chief Michael Moore will step into the role of Interim Police Chief of the Royal Oak Police Department, effective immediately. As the Interim Police Chief, Moore will oversee the two main divisions of the department: staff services and patrol operations. Moore has been employed by the Royal Oak Police Department for more than 20 years, during which time he has held the rank of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Detective, Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Commander of the Professional Standards Unit and Deputy Chief.
“On behalf of the City of Royal Oak, residents and elected and appointed officials, I want to thank Chief O’Donohue for his 29 years of service,” said Paul Brake, City Manager for Royal Oak. “The transition for Deputy Chief Moore into the Interim Police Chief role will be seamless with his years of experience and leadership within the department.”
During Chief O’Donohue’s tenure, important milestones were accomplished, including:
- The construction and completion of the new police station.
- Successful public safety millage proposal presented to Royal Oak voters in November of this year, with the levy including up to 3.975 mills to support police, fire and emergency services.
- Promotion and selection of command officers who provide the current leadership structure of the Royal Oak Police Department.
- He was elected by his peers to a leadership position in the Michigan Chiefs of Police Association, Southeast Michigan Association of Chief of Police, and the Oakland County Chiefs of Police Association.
The City of Royal Oak will be conducting a search in the coming months for the next Police Chief to lead the Royal Oak Police Department.