Flint’s new police and fire chiefs are now on the job.
The city’s state oversight board today approved hiring Tim Johnson as Flint’s new top cop and Raymond Barton as Flint’s new fire chief.
Barton is promising changes to the way the city’s undermanned fire department is deployed. He says his predecessor, David Cox, asked too much of Flint’s firefighters.
“Sometimes he put a lot of stress on the firefighters having them work with less,” says Barton.
Barton says a priority for him will be to reassess arson data in the city, which he believe has been underestimating the problem.
“I know all the numbers didn’t always add up," Barton said. "Arson wasn’t as down as much as they said."
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver fired the previous city police and fire chiefs earlier this month. They had been appointed by Flint’s former emergency manager.
