A former police officer, Michael Cecchini has enjoyed a career in law enforcement dating back to the late 1980s. Before residing in Michigan, Michael Cecchini spent 20 years in law enforcement in Arizona, starting as a police officer who patrolled the city.
Mr. Cecchini became a sergeant in 1996, and supervised a squad of patrol officers. He then transferred to the Planning and Research Bureau where he supervised officers and civilian staff that tracked and analyzed crime data for the Department. In 1998, he was assigned to the Professional Standards Division, a job that involved performing audits to improve efficiency and productivity and also included the investigation of officer involved shootings and misconduct.
In 2000, he was promoted to lieutenant and worked in the Police Chief’s Office assisting the Patrol Division Chief. Mr. Cecchini's responsibilities included managing the division’s performance and budget, the Police Reserve Program, and the department’s School Resource Officer Program. He also redesigned the badge worn by all members of the department.
Mr. Cecchini became an area manager in 2002, supervising more than 50 employees and managing a budget of more than $4 million. This role involved supervising officers using community-based policing techniques, including partnerships with community organizations, businesses, media, and other government agencies. In 2005, Mr. Cecchini oversaw a police precinct’s Resource Unit, which included supervising various department squads and programs.
Mr. Cecchini relocated to central Michigan to work for the Department of Public Safety from 2006 to 2022. He was responsible for the department’s multi-million-dollar annual budget and supervising the city’s traditional and specialized public safety service for more than 34,000 residents. While with the public safety department, he created the city’s safety plan, which combined the functions of the city's first responders, resulting in a 50 million dollar cost savings to date.