Washington, D.C.  – Last week, U.S. Congressman John Dingell (D-MI15) issued a floor statement for the Congressional Record to congratulate Dearborn Michigan’s Chief of Police, Ronald Haddad for being named Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine.

Below is the text of the statement:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Ronald Haddad, Chief of Police in Dearborn, Michigan, for being named a Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine.  As a resident of Dearborn, I can say that Chief Haddad is very deserving of this honor.  His commitment to the safety of the residents of Dearborn and his emphasis on community policing is admirable and worthy of all of our praise. 

“Chief Haddad is the first Arab-American police chief in the State of Michigan, and he is an excellent liaison with Dearborn’s large Arab-American community.  The reforms he recently spearheaded have turned the Dearborn Police Department into a model law enforcement agency which other cities have sought to replicate.  Specifically, the BRIDGES program, which entails regular meetings between leaders of the Arab-American community and government officials, has done much to promote trust and understanding in Dearborn, as well as Southeastern Michigan as a whole.  Due to the good efforts and hard work of Chief Haddad and the entire Dearborn Police Department, Michigan’s 15th Congressional District is a better place to live and work. 

“We all owe Chief Haddad an enormous debt of gratitude for his leadership and contributions to our society.  Governing Magazine was very wise in choosing Chief Haddad as one of their honorees.  I wish him all the best of luck in the future, and I am proud to represent Chief Ronald Haddad in the House of Representatives.”

On Thursday, November 17, 2011, Congressman Dingell was pleased to meet with Dearborn civic leaders in Washington D.C. and have the opportunity to personally thank Chief Haddad for his public service.  

From Left to Right: Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly, Congressman Dingell, Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad, Father Russ Kohler, Pastor of Most Holy Trinity Church, and Emad Shenouda, the protective security advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assigned in Detroit, Michigan. (Courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives Office of Photography)

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