Marion County native first ever police chief of Detroit

DETROIT — For the first time in its incorporated history, a span of 70 years, the Town of Detroit now has its first police chief. Robert Bryan McCraw, of Hamilton, was hired and sworn in as the town’s police chief on Monday, March 17, at Detroit Town Hall by Mayor Keith King.
McCraw retired as the police chief for Guin and has also formerly worked with the Franklin County heriff’s Department.
The mayor explained to those in attendance the town had been seeking a police chief.
“We’ve been looking for (a police chief) for years,” King said. “We had one who was going to come work for us. We bought a car. Then he backed out. No one wanted the job. I’ve known Bryan a long time, and I saw him at a fire and asked him if he was interested.”
“(King) asked me if I would consider coming out of retirement some, and I said I might,” McCraw mentioned. “He asked if I would like to work for Detroit. I thought about it for about an hour, maybe two, and I said I believe I’ll do it.”
McCraw said he was mainly looking at helping to deter crime. However, he did explain he would stop anyone passing by an unloading and stopped school bus.
“I have no tolerance for passing a stopped school bus,” McCraw said. “I wrote an ambulance a ticket in Guin for passing a stopped school bus, and they did not have a patient. If I see it, you’ll get a ticket.
“When the kids get off the school bus, their whole idea is to go home, and everybody is supposed to stop.”
According to town records, resolutions were passed during a special-called meeting on March 14, in preparation of the hiring of McCraw, and included a job description, duties and responsibilities of the new police chief, along with the establishment of the new police department. Resolution 2025-03-14 also states McCraw’s base salary is $24,000.
The Bible used for McCraw’s swearing in belonged to his grandfather, Cullen McCraw.
“He was from Military Grove, between Sulligent and Vernon,” McCraw said. During the ceremony, he was accompanied by his friend, Kristie Bailey, and his mother, Ann McCraw.
“I was the chief at Guin until I retired,” McCraw said. “Then I went to work at Franklin County, transporting prisoners and serving civil papers, as a deputy. And then I went to Columbus, Miss., for about nine months.”
King explained the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department had been working with the Town of Detroit in providing police coverage.
“Lamar County Sheriff’s Department has been working us for years,” King said. “We really appreciate the service they’ve given us. They’ll have to continue helping us, but (having) the police chief is going to take a lot of responsibility off the county. They won’t have to come up here as much. It’s a win-win for the county and the town.”
“As sheriff, I'm extremely excited to see the Town of Detroit stand up a police department,” Lamar County Sheriff Marty Gottwald stated. “We have coordinated with Chief McCraw regarding excess equipment we have that may be of use to his department, and look forward to working with him.”
Detroit was incorporated on May 31, 1955.