Canton restructures public safety department

Chadwick           Christopher
Baugh               Stoecklein

Members of the Canton Township Board of Trustees have approved the restructuring of the township public safety department, naming two deputy directors following the retirement of the former public safety director earlier this year.
As part of the revamping of the department, trustees approved the appointment of Chadwick Baugh as the new director of police services - police chief and Christopher Stoecklein as the director of fire services - fire chief.
Baugh, who began his career with the township in 1996, will oversee all operations of the Canton Township Police Department. He has served in a leadership role with the department for the past 12 years.
A graduate of Eastern Michigan University Police Staff & Command School, he also has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Madonna University, and a Master's Degree in Technology from Eastern Michigan University. Stoecklein, who began his career in Canton in 1996, will oversee all operations of the fire department. He has been in a leadership role with the department for the past seven years. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University Fire Staff & Command School, he earned his bachelor's degree in public safety administration from Sienna Heights University.
During the past several months, township officials and the leadership team members have been reviewing and evaluating the operations of the Public Safety Department and the need for a director position to oversee both the police and fire operations. Members of the township leadership team, merit commission, and township board of trustees  agreed that residents would be better served at this time by the reclassification of these two positions.
“We realize this is a major change in the structure of the Public Safety Department, dating back to 1987 when the first Director position was created to oversee both the Police and Fire Departments,” said Township Supervisor Pat Williams. “The former organizational structure has served the community well, but these past few months have provided insight and opportunity to take the department in a new, fiscally-responsible direction, with zero impact on the exceptional police and fire services the community is accustomed to receiving.”
Funds for the salaries of these reclassifications will be redirected in the budget from the vacated director of public safety position.