Reflections Magazine Issue #74 - Spring 2011 | Page 17

Feature Article

“There are corporate entities that don’t approach
budgets like that in 10 years,” he said. “Most of
my career had been in different areas, but none
to the extent to where I understood the business
side of the police department as I did in that
assignment. That experience definitely prepared
me for this position.”
He said his leadership education at SHU also
helped him take on more of a CEO mindset.
continued from page 16 . . .

I Dare You …
When Godbee graduated from Detroit Cass
Technical High School in 1986, he and a friend
were enrolled at nearby Wayne State University.
“(One day) He mentioned the fact, ‘did you ever
think about becoming a police officer?’ ” Godbee recalled. “Miami Vice (TV show) was pretty
big at the time, and we were waxing whimsically
about being cops. It was not a real serious conversation, but he mentioned in Detroit you can
be a cop at 18 years old. I did not really believe
him. … And lo and behold, 18 was the age. We
kind of made a challenge between the two of us.
And I went and applied, and he didn’t. Twentyfour years later, I’m the chief of police.”
Godbee graduated at the top of his police academy class, and was also named the top shooter
and class president. However, his parents were
originally not too thrilled with his decision to
forego college for fighting crime.
“Quite frankly, when I first told my parents about
it, they were like, ‘Oh my God, no. We want you
to finish high school and be a lawyer or doctor,’”
he said. “It turned out to be one of the greatest
decisions of my life.”
He joined the department as an officer at age
19. In 1995, after serving several years as a patrol
officer, Godbee was promoted to sergeant and
was the commanding officer of the Executive
Protection Unit. He was again promoted to
lieutenant and commanded the recruiting unit
in 1999. Then after earning the rank of inspector,
he ran the 1st and 9th precincts before being
promoted to deputy chief in 2005 and assistant
chief in 2007. After being named interim chief
last summer by the mayor, Godbee’s post was
finalized just last fall. He is one of the youngest
police chiefs in the city’s history.

However, after bypassing college to join the
force, he realized what he was missing when he
was laid off by the department in 1990.
“To get my career path and get serious about it,
my layoff was probably the best thing that ever
happened to me,” Godbee said. “It was a stark
reminder of how important education is.”
He returned to school to earn his associate’s
degree, then completed his bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice/law enforcement from SHU’s
Southfield center in 2000. Godbee returned
to SHU, earning a master’s degree in educational leadership with a concentration in human
resource development in 2006.
“I just had a wonderful learning experience,” he
said of Siena Heights. “Without that support, I
wouldn’t be sitting here today as chief of police.”

The Business of Law Enforcement
While commanding the 9th Precinct, Godbee
was on the front lines of fighting crime—and
was more than happy to remain there. However,
former Chief Ella Bully-Cummings had another
assignment for him.
“She asked me to come and be the commander
of the Risk and Policy Management Division,”
he said. “If the chief asks you to do something,
the way I have been raised in the organization,
you go where you feel the chief can best utilize
your talents. I wanted to stay at the 9th Precinct
and lead the crime-fighting piece. But the chief
saw something. She wanted me to understand
the business side of the police department.”
So he accepted the new assignment, learning
about things like labor issues, risk management
policies, legal affairs and budgeting. He said that
experience is invaluable now that he manages a
departmental annual budget of approximately
$400 million and thousands of employees.

“You look at an organization like the Detroit
Police Department, some of the cultural history
and some of the challenges we face, and you have
to have a clear understanding of how to develop
a culture that’s a winning culture,” he said. “A lot
of the lessons I’ve learned and am applying now
to my command staff and … meetings and presentations to the community (are) things I had
to demonstrate programmatically through
my (bachelor’s) degree and master’s degree
programs at Siena Heights.”
“When I got the nod and the opportunity from
Mayor Bing to become chief of police, I felt immensely qualified and prepared. I understood
the business side of the police department.”

Servant Leader
Godbee, a fit 43-year-old African American
man who sports a shaved head, well-groomed
mustache and an engaging smile, doesn’t cast an
imposing shadow. That’s just not his style.
In fact, during a couple of afternoon meetings
with community leaders from various youth
organizations, he is more focused on listening
than talking. And when he responds, his deep,
soft-spoken tone usually begins with “Yes, sir”
or “Yes, maam.”
“I try to display a servant leadership mentality,”
Godbee said of