17 Facts About Ella Bully-Cummings

Ella M Bully-Cummings was born on 1958 and is an American police officer who served as the chief of the Detroit Police Department from 2003 to 2008.

Ella Bully-Cummings's parents met when her father was serving in the US Army as part of the American Occupation forces.

Ella Bully-Cummings attended Henry Ford Junior High School in Highland Park, Michigan, and is a graduate of Cass Technical High School.

Ella Bully-Cummings helped her parents pay for her siblings' education through early years on the police force.

Ella Bully-Cummings went to college herself while still serving on the police force after helping to pay for five of her siblings.

In December 1993 Ella Bully-Cummings graduated with honors from Madonna University with a bachelor's degree in public administration.

Ella Bully-Cummings continued her rise in the department by making lieutenant in 1993 and commander in 1998.

Ella Bully-Cummings represented management in employment cases that involved federal and state discrimination.

Ella Bully-Cummings was charged with overseeing Management Services, Training, Personnel, Science and Technology, and Risk Management bureaus, collectively called the "Administrative Portfolio".

Ella Bully-Cummings was held in contempt of court in late 2005 for not reinstating four inspectors and three commanders, who were let go as a part of the restructuring of the police department to save money.

The officers alleged that, while stopped, Beatty called Ella Bully-Cummings to have the officers called off, which they were ordered to do.

When reports of the incident started to surface in the media, Ella Bully-Cummings said the officers harassed Beatty, and Kilpatrick said the stop "looked like a setup".

On September 4,2008, Ella Bully-Cummings announced her retirement, minutes after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury and resigned from office as part of a plea deal.

Ella Bully-Cummings offered to assist her successor in transitioning to the duties of Police Chief if asked to do so.

Ella Bully-Cummings is a 2005 recipient of the General Motors and Black Entertainment Television's "History Maker in the Making" Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Center for Women and Policing.

Ella Bully-Cummings is married to Attorney William Cummings, a retired Detroit police commander.

Ella Bully-Cummings was previously married to former Wayne County Sheriff and former Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans.