Update … Police chief is under investigation and suspended

Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri has been suspended with pay by City Manager Max Garbarino.
Also suspended with pay is a department investigator Dave Adamczyk. No reason was given for his suspension.
No details were provided for the suspensions by, who declined to further comment.
But according to sources, there is an internal police department report being circulated about the chief that The Review has come into possession of.
The report was previously submitted to the FBI and Michigan State Police, according to a source.
According to sources, the report alludes to some questionable actions by the chief.
Chief Altaheri released a statement, welcoming an investigation.

“I call on the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and FBI to follow up on these false accusations and all those behind these fabricated stories,” Altaheri said.
The report has implications that even include President Trump, and the pardon of an unnamed New York City financier who had been convicted of a financial crime and is a friend of Altaheri.
According to an email message sent to the source who forwarded the internal police department report to The Review, it said:
“I’m reaching out because there’s something really important I think people in Hamtramck should know. …

“There’s also a report that both the Michigan State Police and the FBI are looking into, which mentions some other serious issues about the Chief:
“The Chief told officers to hide reports about domestic violence.
He might be involved in shady financial stuff and abusing his power as chief.
“He was connected to a stolen car issue where he used police resources wrongly.
“He’s accused of trying to mess with local politics and elections.

“These are serious issues, and people need to know what’s going on to protect our city. … Our community deserves better.”
The email signed off as “a worried resident.”
Chief Altaheri retired from the New York Police Department a year ago. He took the role of police chief here last May.
Since that time, Altaheri has initiated a number of community outreach programs, earning him widespread praise. He is the first Yemeni-American to fill the role of police chief in Hamtramck.
Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib and two city councilmembers are also Yemeni-American, and they championed the hiring of Altaheri. Altaheri was hired after only a 10-day search for a new chief after former Chief Anne Moise retired.
The Review reached out to Mayor Ghalib for comment but he did not respond.
However, WDIV Channel 4 news reported Ghalib issued this statement:
“I and the city council members were not informed of the city manager’s decision prior to taking it.
“Police chief described it as a retaliatory action by the city manager for disciplining one of the police officers who is a close friend of the city manager.
“City manager said there are some allegations against the chief reported by that police officer, that need to be investigated, which the police chief denies.
“The city council will hold an emergency meeting soon to take some corrective actions and to address the issue.”
Ghalib’s statement was not posted on the city’s website, its Facebook page, nor Ghalib’s Facebook page.
At the time of Altaheri’s hiring Councilmember Khalil Refai said that Altaheri “will bring in diversity.”
Chief Altaheri did indeed oversee an infusion of racial and ethnic diverse hirings, including women, into the department.
Altaheri also began a series of podcasts of interviews, called “The Chief’s Corner,” with local residents and business owners that aired on social media.
Those podcasts have stopped in recent weeks.
Altaheri was also praised for starting a youth police academy here.
Posted May 23, 2025