YPD Chief Kirk Moore “Retires” After Less Than Two Years

by P.D. Lesko

Kirk Moore, a captain in the Henderson, Nevada Police Dept. with over 500 sworn officers, took the helm of the Ypsilanti Police Dept. in April 2023. He signed a four year contract to lead the dept. with fewer than 40 officers. In a recent email to the “YPD Family,” Moore announced that due to “some personal family matters that require my immediate attention,” he is “retiring” for just the second time in his 32 years as a law enforcement officer. Chief Moore’s last day on the job will be Jan. 27, 2025. YPD Captain Anderson will serve as Interim Chief, according to the email sent out by Moore.

In July 2023, the A2Indy reported on a secret mutual aid memo signed between Chief Moore and the Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton:

“Ypsi Police Chief Kirk L. Moore, in a secret memo to his staff provided to The Ann Arbor Independent, says the YPD is undermanned and can’t investigate capital crimes such as murder and attempted murder. In the memo, he announces he has signed a mutual aid agreement with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Dept. Until Oct. 2. 2023, as a result, all ‘high profile’ murders, attempted murders and suspicious deaths reported in Ypsilanti will be handled by the Sheriff’s Dept.”

Crime in Ypsilanti, per capita, is among the highest in the United States and at 11.62 crimes per 1,000 residents, stands at a rate almost triple the per capita rate of 4.16 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in Michigan.

In Ypsilanti, each of the 19,700 residents has a 1 in 87 chance of being the victim of a violent crime. In Michigan, residents have a 1 in 217 chance of being victims of violent crime. Ypsilanti police, in 2024, reported 190 crimes per square mile.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s crime dashboard shows that more than two-thirds of the 4,254 verified crimes reported to that agency in 2024 originated in the 48197/48198 zip codes (Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Twp.).

Ypsilanti City Administrator Andrew Hellenga has said the City will launch yet another national search to find its next Chief of Police. Ypsilanti Twp., whose trustees have complained about the high cost charged by the Sheriff’s Dept. for deputies to patrol their area (several million dollars per year), are investigating funding an independent police force.

Below, read Kirk Moore’s email announcing his retirement from the YPD: