Decorated Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety officer receives promotion

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A veteran member of the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department has earned a new badge and a new rank.

Officer Kyle Seidel was sworn into office as a newly minted sergeant by Woods City Clerk Paul Antolin during a Dec. 4 City Council meeting.

Seidel, 43, has been with the department for almost 21 years.

“I’m excited for it,” Seidel said of becoming a sergeant. “The hard work finally paid off. I look forward to being a supervisor.”

Public Safety Director John Kosanke said Seidel “has been a dedicated member of the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department” throughout his career. He said Seidel earned an associate degree in law enforcement from Macomb Community College, and he was trained at the Macomb County police and fire academies.

Seidel has worn many hats in the department, including being a field training officer, school resource officer, bicycle patrol member, evidence technician and firearms instructor, Kosanke said.

“Officer Seidel has worked diligently throughout the years doing various training,” Kosanke said, noting that Seidel has served as a certified firearms instructor and Remington 870 and Glock armorer. He has studied topics including crime prevention through environmental design, rapid intervention team operations, sex crimes investigation, trench rescue awareness and nomadic and transient criminals training.

From 2020 to 2022, Seidel was a member of the detective bureau.

“Prior to that appointment, Officer Seidel had been known to undertake investigations and surveillance to solve cases on his own, without any direction,” Kosanke said.

Besides his work for the department, Kosanke said Seidel has done quite a bit of volunteering, including for Special Olympics. A former trustee, sergeant at arms and secretary for the Fraternal Order of Police 102 Lodge, Seidel is currently on the FOP’s fundraising and events committee.

“You’ve been with us for a long time,” City Councilwoman Vicki Granger said. “Thank you so much (for your service).”

A decorated officer, Seidel has received multiple awards, including department commendations for “outstanding work as an evidence technician” and, separately, the investigation into, and arrest of, a suspect wanted on numerous outstanding warrants, Kosanke said.

“I am proud to promote Officer Seidel to the rank of sergeant,” Kosanke said. “He is someone who has always treated his co-workers with respect, is reliable and dependable, and has always presented himself as someone who truly cares about his job and the people he works with as well as the residents he works for.”

Some of Seidel’s family members and friends were on hand for the swearing-in, including his wife, Jessica Seidel, who pinned his new badge on his uniform.