LPD chief offered Muskegon public safety position. 

Chief Timothy Kozal

LPD chief offered Muskegon public safety position. 

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — Ludington Police Chief Timothy Kozal has been offered the position of director of public safety for the City of Muskegon. Kozal, who began working in Ludington in May 2020, was one of two finalists for the Muskegon job. The other was Derrick Turner, who is police chief for the Mobile, Alabama, Airport Authority. Kozal will replace Muskegon’s former public safety director, Jeff Lewis, who retired in April. 

Prior to being hired by Ludington, Kozal was director of public safety for the City of Manistee for three years. He had previously served as director of public safety in Edwardsburg. Prior to that he worked for the Kalamazoo Department of Safety for 22 years. A department of safety includes police and fire departments.

Ludington was incorporated as a city in 1873. From 1873 until 1916 the city’s law enforcement was handled by marshals. The 1916 charter established a police department.

Marshals:

• John Davidson, 1873
• George Weimer, 1880 to 1883 (3 years)
• William Kennedy, served until 1887
• L.H. Young, served until 1899
• Ole Anderson, 1900 to 1908 (8 years)
• William McGuire, 1909 to 1916 (7 years)

Police department established following 1916 charter.

Chiefs:

• William McGuire, 1916 to 1919 (3 years, 10 years total).
• Timothy Barber, 1919 to 1950 (31 years)
• Fred Nankee, 1950 to 1962 (12 years)
• Harold Mehl, 1962 to 1973 (11 years)
• William Hartley, 1973 to 1979 (6 years)
• Jack Harper, 1979 to 1989 (10 years)
• Wally Taranko, 1990 to 2001 (11 years)
• Mark Barnett, 2001 to 2020 (19 years)
• Timothy Kozal, 2020 to 2022 (2 years)

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