A former Cleveland police chief has been permanently appointed as the city’s chief director of Public Safety.
Wayne Drummond was sworn in during a ceremony Monday afternoon, Mayor Justin Bibb announced Tuesday in a media release.
Drummond has served as the interim chief safety director since February, when former safety director Karrie Howard resigned.
“While an arduous rebuilding journey is ahead of us, I am looking forward to continuing Mayor Bibb’s commitment to public safety, and making a positive impact in our divisions, with city stakeholders, and most importantly, in our diverse communities,” Drummond said in the press release.
The city's director of public safety provides civilian oversight of police, fire and EMS. Prior to the creation of the Cleveland Community Police Commission, the safety director also had final say over police officer discipline.
Drummond has worked for the Cleveland Division of Police for over three decades and was named chief of police in 2022. He is a former commander of the fifth district, which includes the city's northeast side, and served as a deputy chief overseeing operations under Calvin Williams, before replacing him as chief in 2022.
“Chief Director Drummond is an incomparable and well-respected leader with deep institutional knowledge and a strong commitment to keeping this city safe,” Bibb said in the release.
Drummond also collaborated on the city's 2024 Summer Safety Plan, which was instituted in May and is credited with bringing in the largest police cadet recruiting class the city had seen in recent years.
Earlier this year, Cleveland cut 148 unfilled police positions after struggling to recruit new officers. Last year, the city boosted pay for new recruits by 50% while they’re in the training academy and added signing bonuses and other incentives to grow the city’s police officer ranks and increased pay for existing officers to retain staffing levels.
