Best Qualified AAPD Chief Candidate Announces He’s Out of the Running

Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins will remain chief after it was reported he was a finalist for a top police job in Ann Arbor, Michigan, last month. Chief Hawkins released a statement regarding his commitment to serving with Albany Police.

“I wish Ann Arbor the best in its search for its next police chief, as my commitment remains with Albany.  I am one of the longest-serving police chiefs over the last forty years in Albany. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue that service.”

Andre Anderson, one of the remaining candidates selected for the Ann Arbor police chief interviews which were held at 8 a.m. on Dec. 1, is the former Chief of Police in Ferguson, MO. In 1996, this same candidate was suspended three times in one year and served with an order of protection after he allegedly hit a woman.

Kyra Joy Hope is another of the remaining candidates. In 2022, her department was the subject of a Michigan ACLU letter to the U.S. Dept. of Justice which cited 780 cases of resident complaints of excessive police force showing a 25 percent rise in excessive force since 2020.

Carmelin Rivera, the third remaining candidate, was sued in federal court for violating underage suspects’ rights to due process and equal protection, a suit his employer settled. This same candidate sued his employer twice; the suits were dismissed.

In a press release, city officials say they “engaged with members of the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission to help identify the ideal qualities Ann Arbor’s new police chief should possess.”

Ann Arbor officials also paid Baker Tilly, “an executive search firm” to lead the recruitment process. City records show that in May 2023, Baker Tilly was paid $16,770 and in June 2023, the company was paid $8,385 for a total of $21,155 to bring police chief finalists to City officials.

Former AAPD Chief candidate Eric Hawkins has been the chief of police with the Albany, New York Police Department since September 2018. He began his law enforcement career in Southfield, Michigan, in 1991, and served as Southfield’s Chief of Police from 2012-2018. Hawkins has a bachelor’s degree in public administration, a master’s degree in public administration and a juris doctor degree from Cooley Law School.

In 2021, Hawkins was short-listed for the Chief job in Akron, OH. He withdrew from the running.

When asked about police accountability in a lengthy interview with the Akron Beacon Journal, Hawkins said, “Fundamentally, I don’t have a problem with having outside entities examine and analyze police operations,” Hawkins said. “I think it’s healthy to have that review and that sort of perspective.”

In his 2021 interview, Eric Hawkins focused on “service delivery for our minority communities.” He added, “As an industry, as a whole, we have to admit that we have this problem connecting with minorities, especially in our urban areas. We have to understand and embrace this concept that changes and adjustments in how we operate and how we engage … it’s not a bad thing to do those.”

While in Ann Arbor, Hawkins said, “Ann Arbor is a wonderful community with high expectations for its public servants. I am eager to see if my skill set and service orientation match what the city is looking for in its next police chief.”

Ann Arbor’s City Administrator Milton Dohoney has said he hopes to have a new Chief of Police in place by the end of December. Ann Arbor has not had a Chief of Police since 2022.