In a precedent setting commencement on Friday in the 31st District Courtroom at Hamtramck City Hall, both acting Chief of Police Max Garbarino and acting Chief of Fire Paul Wilk were officially sworn in as Hamtramck’s new serving police chief and serving fire chief.
This is the first concurrent swearing in of two chiefs of public service in the history of Hamtramck and has garnered much attention from friends, family, municipal officals, and even U.S. Representative John Conyers.
The official oaths were administered by Judge Paul Paruk who entreated the two acting chiefs Max Garbarino and Paul Wilk to consummate their oath to Hamtramck as sworn and serving officials. Garbarino and Wilk gracefully agreed to uphold the municipal responsibilities appointed to them. Garbarino received former chief Marek Kalinowski’s badge and the audience erupted into celebration as the swearing in was made official.
The commencement was an inspiring boost of morale, in an otherwise particularly delicate time for law-enforcement and the city of Hamtramck-in part due to several heinous crimes committed in the preceding weeks.
Two young women, Ashley Conaway and Abreeya Brown were kidnapped on February 28th from a house on Andrus St. and found dead on the west side of Detroit on March 25th, five men were charged with their kidnapping and murders.
Police Chief Max Garbarino responded to a carjacking turned sexual assault on March 2nd. Later arrested, 25 year old Tonio Dace was charged with sexual assault, kidnapping, and carjacking for his abduction and abuse of three women attending a music festival in Hamtramck.
It was the expedited resolutions of these atrocious acts, undoubtedly due in part to the newly appointed officials that reinvigorated the spirit and city of Hamtramck.
Garbarino went on to expand his vision for economic reparation in the city consulting his experience in the study of law, (which he will substantiate with the receipt of a law degree in the coming weeks). One of his directives was to place greater importance and encouragement on the neighborhood watch groups which would assist police patrols and allow for more specific and necessary allocation of public resources.