HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — In Hamtramck, a woman has been at the helm of the police department for the first time since it was formed.
Hamtramck Police Department Chief Anna Moise says she's proud of the progress she's seen since taking over the department. She’s been with the department for 24 years and was also the department’s first woman sergeant.
“I love Hamtramck. I love everything about this community. I love the people and the diversity and the culture in this town,” Moise said. “From the day I came here, I never really thought about going anywhere else.”
She said when speaking to young people in the community, she tells them they "can be anything they want to be.”
“I want to empower them and get them to feel like they sky’s the limit,” Moise said.
In a field mostly consisting of men, she said moving up the ranks had its challenges.
“I really kept myself grounded. I never lost who I was, who my parents taught me to be and I’ve just always felt that I would prove myself by working hard, by being compassionate, by being a good person, and it’s paid off,” Moise said.
She said the department is seeing more property crimes and stolen cars, similar to the early 2000s.
“We do have our share of crime, unfortunately. We do get some violent crimes and things like that but for the most part, I think Hamtramck is a quiet, peaceful community,” she said. “I think just understanding each other and understanding the culture has really helped us to just get along here.
She said she’s proud that the department has been able to secure grants and add technology that wasn’t available when her career started.
Moise said she wants the community to know that she cares about them.
“You may not see me every day, but most of you know who I am,” she said. “I care about them, I care about the community and the fact that I’ve stayed here for so long. And I think our officers care about the community and sometimes that’s hard because we’re seeing people at their worst moment. But hopefully they know we’re here for them and we’re here to keep the community safe."
