Livonia Police Chief Caid Looks Back on a Career Spanning 42 Years

At the end of this year, the city of Livonia will bid farewell to its Chief of Police Curtis Caid. Caid is set to retire following a 42-year career in law enforcement including 10 years as chief of police.

"It's been an honor, a blessing to serve this community, and not just the community, the way I envision it is the region.

The city of Livonia, we're one of the biggest police departments in Wayne County and one of the largest municipal police departments in the state of Michigan," he says, adding that the responsibility of serving in law enforcement is not only the city where one works, but to the entire region including neighboring jurisdictions and state and federal law enforcement agencies as well. "We're all in that together and we all need to support each other in our mission of serving the community and in the bigger picture of serving the region. It's been a great experience."

Caid began his career with the Livonia Police Department in 1979. He grew up in Livonia and attended Schoolcraft College part-time while working as a police cadet for the department. He then attended the Detroit Police Academy in 1981 and was promoted to police officer. His educational highlights include Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Program, and Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Institute at Central Michigan University.

Over the course of his career, Caid has filled many roles at the Livonia Police Department. He has served as patrol officer, shift supervisor, and has been assigned to the department's Detective Bureau and Intelligence Bureaus. Caid had also been assigned as Division Commander of Administration and Support Services, later being promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of Police in 2008. In 2011 he was appointed Chief of Police by Mayor Jack. E. Kirksey, a role which he says seemed distant and unattainable at the beginning of his career in law enforcement.

"I worked hard at it, all through my career I've committed myself and I can't say that without acknowledging my family and their sacrifice," he says. "This is a 24/7, 365-day career...there's no off-switch, and it takes a toll on the family." The father of three says he feels he has been very fortunate and having the support of his family is priceless.

Caid has seen his share of challenges while on the job, too. He says substance abuse and addiction has been a challenge police officers everywhere must contend with. "The opioid issue, I think it's significant in every community, I don't know of any community that it hasn't hit hard," he says, adding that the arrival of Narcan, a drug which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose has been a valuable tool to save lives. He says the addition of fentanyl into the list of dangerous opioids has produced its own dangers; just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is 100 time stronger than morphine and can cause death. Fentanyl is used to treat pain in cancer patients, but because of its powerful opioid properties it is also diverted for abuse. He adds that while police and EMS personnel are hands on when it comes to opioid abuse and overdose, the problem is a societal one which must be addressed from many angles. Currently, the Livonia Police Department partners with Growth Works, Inc. and St. Mary Mercy Hospital to provide Western Wayne Rescue Recovery, a program aimed at treating substance abuse. "Whether it's heroin, whether it's crack cocaine...or alcohol, all different forms of addiction, they're real issues that we need to contend with as a society," Caid says. "The addiction issue has been a significant problem to deal with, certainly over my career."

Caid says he has also witnessed how the profession of policing has changed over the decades, to now include educational requirements and frequent training for officers to update how they handle situations that arise in the course of their work. He adds that recent incidents involving use of force and race are tragic but they often initiate police departments to analyze their policies and where to make necessary changes.

"The profession is always changing, as it should. We serve our communities, we need to respect what our communities expect and want out of us as a law enforcement agency, "he says. "As s a police agency, the only way we can be effective is if we have the support of the community we serve."

Caid says policing is a noble profession, very demanding, yet very rewarding. What is he taking away from this experience? "I've had the pleasure and the honor to serve in the position of police chief and to be associated with so many fine people here at the police department and in the community as well and in the region, it's an honor," he says. "This community supports us and we're very, very, very fortunate, but we work hard at it-it is a partnership. Livonia's a great town in so many ways, and I'm proud to be part of it."