ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan Police Department has a new police chief.
Crystal James is the first Black person to hold the position on the Ann Arbor campus and the first woman chief on any of the university’s three campus.
James previously worked as deputy chief on the Dearborn campus. She has filled the chief’s role on an interim basis since 2023, after Robert Neumann became senior director and chief of operations for the Division of Public Safety and Security.
“I am honored to take on this responsibility,” James said. “And I have a deep sense of pride. It is a privilege to lead our police and security teams. They are professional, well trained and understand the importance of service.”
James will oversee the police, university housing, and museum security operations. She will also manage crime prevention on campus.
“Chief James’ unparalleled enthusiasm, professional credentials, insatiable appetite for community, and the universal respect and trust shared among law enforcement officers, peers and the university leaders makes her the right choice at the right time to lead UMPD,” said Eddie Washington, executive director of DPSS.
James said that while safety is a top priority, she will also be focused on community engagement and public service.
“I want to make it a priority to introduce myself to students as they walk across the Diag,” she said. “I want to chat with morning bus commuters making their way to their labs or offices. And I want to drop into Michigan Medicine’s emergency room to thank the nurses and staff for their hard work.”
James was born in Sanford, Florida, and moved to Detroit in middle school. She said her mother and stepfather showed her how to work hard, and were dedicated to family and public service.
“My mother was a nurse and dedicated herself to that important work,” she said. “I remember her taking on private-duty nursing jobs to supplement her income, ensuring we would have everything we needed.”
James graduated from Central Michigan University and worked as a bank teller until she decided to make a change in her career.
“I wanted to do something more,” she said. “My then-boyfriend, who is now my husband, was a police officer. He asked me, ‘Crystal, have you ever thought about law enforcement?’”
She graduated from the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy in 1989. Her first law enforcement job was with the Detroit Police Department. After two years with the Detroit department, her and nearly 500 other officers were laid off due to budget cuts.
She applied at U-M and in 1992, she was hired. She was the second Black woman officer to join the university’s department.
James said she hopes to build and strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the U-M community.
“Ensuring the safety of our campus community is paramount,” she said. “It is not merely a duty; it is fostering an environment where the campus community feels safe.”