Grewe sworn in as police chief, Clemence retires

By Grace Lovins

A 24-year veteran of the Birmingham Police Department, Commander Scott Grewe was promoted and sworn in as the new Birmingham police chief at the city commission meeting on Monday, December 19, which also marked the retirement of former chief of nearly seven years, Mark Clemence.

Grewe joined the Birmingham police department in April of 1999, after serving as a corrections officer with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department between January and April of 1999. While working with the department, Grewe has served as the police department liaison to the multi-modal transportation board, the interim parking director, and has supervised internal investigations, the training of staff and the recruitment and hiring of new employees.

He earned his bachelor of science degree in criminal justice with a minor in multi-cultural relations from Ferris State University in 1998. More recently, Grewe expanded his education and is currently earning a master’s degree in public safety from the University of Virginia.

In his nearly 24-year career, Grewe has served as an instructor for firearms, Pressure Point Control Tactics (PPCT) defensive tactics, small squad tactics, as well as taser and hunters’ safety courses. He’s held numerous administrative responsibilities including training coordinator for the Police Auxiliary Program, detective and patrol shift supervisor, and department armorer.

Introducing himself to the public immediately after being sworn in, Grewe expressed his excitement and commitment to the department and community. “I want to express how excited, honored and humbled I am to be selected as the next chief for the city of Birmingham. My commitment to everybody here is to work diligently to move our department forward as a premier agency in the county of Oakland and throughout the state of Michigan,” he stated.

As the new chief, Grewe thanked his family and the department for the influence they have had on his career. He additionally championed the relationships the department has built with other local agencies and stated his intentions to keep working with these neighbors to continue improving the department and keeping the community safe.

“The Birmingham police department, while we may be small in size, we do have a large footprint when we combat crime and keep our community safe, and that’s in large part due to the partnerships we’ve made with our neighboring agencies. The leaders of these agencies … I thank you for these partnerships and making us a better department and I look forward to continuing to work on these partnerships in the future,” Grewe said.