EAST LANSING, Mich — Jennifer Brown was officially sworn in as East Lansing's new police chief Thursday, ending a year-long search for the department's permanent leader.
WATCH BELOW: ELPD Chief Jennifer Brown shares her plans for the future of the department.
Brown, who joined the East Lansing Police Department in 2023 as a deputy chief, had been serving as interim chief since December following the retirement of former Interim Chief Chad Pride.
"It's been a very long process," Brown said.
Brown brings extensive law enforcement experience to the position, having started her career at Michigan State University.
"I started my career at the Michigan State University Police Department, where I spent over 15 years. I started as an officer, moved up the ranks, and left as a lieutenant," Brown said.
After a decade away from law enforcement, Brown returned to the profession when she joined the ELPD in 2023. Her appointment comes after several months of searching and selection processes that culminated in Thursday's ceremony.
As she takes on the permanent role, Brown plans to focus on addressing staffing challenges within the department.
"I don't plan to come in and make a lot of changes. I plan to focus on a lot of the same things that I've been focusing on, and that is recruitment and retention of our officers," Brown said.
Brown emphasized that the department's personnel have been her motivation for taking on the leadership position.
"They provide feedback on changes that I've made in the department, and they do it every single day. It just drives me harder and harder to make the department the best in the entire state," Brown said.
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