Detective Williams selected as Officer of the Year

From left to right: Chief Strong, Sgt. Boruta, Sgt. Arndt, Ofc. Ogarek, 2023 Wayne Police Officer of the Year Detective Williams, Ofc. Kanan, Ofc. Alzayadi, Ofc. Grembowski and Sgt. Colwell.

By Sarah Shurge – On Tuesday, May 7th, at the City of Wayne’s Council meeting, Detective Keith Williams was recognized as the Wayne Police Department’s 2023 Police Officer of the Year.
Each year the Wayne Police Department’s Awards Committee – which consists of patrol officers, command officers, and the police chief – meets to select a Police Officer of the Year Award recipient as well as other individual awards for exemplary service.
“Detective Williams is well deserving of this award,” said Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong. “We’re very glad he’s part of our team. He represents the Wayne Police Department very well with his hard work and positive attitude.”
Aside from being well known for his positive attitude and hard work, Detective Williams is known for his ability to build relationships with the public, particularly young people.
Detective Williams was nominated and selected as Officer of the Year for his outstanding work as the School Resource Officer at Wayne Memorial High School (WMHS) for part of 2023 and as a Detective for the remainder of the year.
Detective Williams took over as the School Resource Officer at WMHS after Sergeant Arndt’s promotion. “I came in very much welcomed,” said Detective Williams. “Some kids were unsure and didn’t know what to expect, but the kids got to know me very quickly. It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about myself.”
Detective Williams has been at the Wayne Police Department (WPD) since 2018.
Prior to joining the WPD, he worked at the Wayne County Sheriff Department from 2015-2018.
Around his last year of high school was when Detective Williams decided he wanted to be a police officer.
“I had a good relationship with my School Resource Officer, and I had family and friends that were officers that pointed me in the right direction,” said Detective Williams. “I really fell in love with it in college with the classes I was taking.”
Detective Williams went from having a relationship with his School Resource Officer to becoming a School Resource Officer himself. “Me being a younger officer, it was a different relationship with students than my School Resource Officer had. He was an older gentleman, so seeing him at the end of career, versus me in the beginning, the kids could relate more,” said Detective Williams.
Detective Williams worked every event he could with the students like graduation and prom. “It was really rewarding and great,” said Detective Williams. “I enjoyed every moment.”
During his time at the WPD, Detective Williams has received numerous awards (three or four accommodations just this year.)
“It’s all about changing your little part of the world,” said Detective Williams. “I like to know that you’re out there, making contact with someone, and changing their day for the better. The positive impact you can have, that’s huge for me.”
Also in May, Finley Carter was promoted to Deputy Chief. “I could think of no one better suited for this role than Deputy Chief Carter,” said Chief Strong. “He is an enormous asset to the Wayne Police Department and law enforcement as a whole.”
Deputy Chief Carter is a 22 year veteran of the Wayne Police Department. Prior to his promotion, Deputy Chief Carter was the Detective Lieutenant in charge of the Investigations Bureau, and has served various roles during his time with the Wayne Police Department, including: Training Coordinator, FOIA coordinator, Public Information Officer, and head of the Firearms Training Program.
Congratulations to both Detective Williams and Deputy Chief Carter for their well-deserved recognition!
For more information about the Wayne Police Department, visit cityofwayne.com/159/Police or you can find them on Facebook by searching “City of Wayne, Michigan Police Department.”