Grosse Pointe Park detective followed in his father’s footsteps

GROSSE POINTE PARK — The accomplishments of Detective Sgt. Jeremy Pittman, the Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department’s first ever Supervisor of the Year recipient, haven’t just been recognized by his department.

Before he even received this honor during a Feb. 3 Park City Council meeting, Pittman found himself fielding an offer to become a global security investigator for General Motors. After 28 years in law enforcement, Pittman retired from the Park March 28 to enter the private sector.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” Public Safety Director James Bostock said. “I’m very grateful for the time he spent in Grosse Pointe Park.”

Pittman, 51, started his career in the Park in February 2008. Prior to that, he worked for the Pontiac Police Department from December 1996 to February 2008.

Pittman, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, fell in love with law enforcement at a young age.

“I knew what I wanted to do from day one,” Pittman said.

His father, Edward Pittman, spent his career as a police officer in Pontiac. The family initially also lived in Pontiac but then moved to Waterford, which is where Jeremy Pittman grew up.

“(My dad) picked me up in a police car for the first time probably when I was 10 years old,” Pittman recalled. “I remember everything about that day — the way the radio sounded, the way his uniform looked.”

While riding with his father, the elder Pittman — who didn’t have a partner that day — pulled over a vehicle with four people in it. Jeremy Pittman watched in awe as his dad approached the vehicle alone.

“I thought that was the bravest thing I’d ever seen,” Pittman said.

After seeing his dad in action, “There was nothing else I wanted to do,” Pittman said.

His dad urged him not to follow in his footsteps, but once he learned that his son had switched his major from accounting to criminal justice, Pittman said his dad supported his decision.

Pittman not only followed in his father’s footsteps, but he also started his law enforcement career working for the same department. However, he said his father had retired before he began working in Pontiac.

Pittman’s younger brother leads a hospitality team for United Wholesale Mortgage. His mother is now retired but she had been the director of member services for Weight Watchers.

It was in Pontiac where Pittman discovered his passion for detective work. Because the department had so many newer officers when he started, Pittman was able to test for a spot on the narcotics team before the standard four-year minimum.

“I liked being presented with a problem and using my own creativity and training to outsmart the bad guy,” Pittman said. “It’s my niche. It’s (now) going to be my retirement job.”

Helping the most vulnerable individuals, such as seniors and children, has been the most rewarding part of his work in law enforcement, Pittman said. One case that stands out for him was that of a kind woman in her 80s who lived alone and in 2022 was nearly beaten to death in her own Park home by a former home health care worker, who then stole valuables and the victim’s vehicle. The victim somehow managed to call 911 before she lost consciousness. The victim survived the savage attack, and Pittman said a team of local and federal law enforcement officers worked on the case until they apprehended the suspect, who is now behind bars.

Pittman won’t miss the heartbreaking stories he’s heard over the last three decades from victims — something that takes an emotional toll on law enforcement professionals.

The Clarkston resident also won’t miss his 50-mile daily commute. His new office will be a bit closer, in Warren.

But he said he will miss the people with whom he worked.

“This is a great department with a great group of people,” Pittman said. “You sit there with your best friends and you get paid for it.”

Resolving a case and arresting those responsible is something they all relish, he said.

“I’ll miss the thrill of the chase, tracking down the bad guys,” Pittman said. “Collaborating with other agencies — I’ve made so many good friends. I’ll miss all that.”

Pittman and his wife, Crystal, an architectural designer, will celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary in August. They’re the parents of two young adult daughters, the older of whom has a degree in psychology and works with children who have autism, and the younger of whom is a college freshman.

Bostock said Pittman was a superb mentor to other officers.

“He brought with him a lot of experience (from his time in Pontiac),” Bostock said. “He’s a very approachable person. He’s always willing to share with others his knowledge, his experience, in a way that made people feel comfortable.”

Park Detective Paul Pionk said Pittman worked well with others.

“He did a great job of encouraging teamwork,” Pionk said.

Fellow Park Detective Ryan Willmer agreed, saying Pittman “encouraged all of us to work together.” That’s something he said they hope to continue with whoever becomes the new member of the city’s detective bureau.

Willmer said Pittman was “extremely fair to everyone, and he has a very high standard of integrity.”

Pittman said he enjoyed collaborating with his department colleagues as well as officers in neighboring departments and from other agencies.

“No one is an expert in everything, but everyone is an expert in something,” Pittman said. “Teamwork, camaraderie, brotherhood — that’s the part I’ve always loved.”

Willmer said Pittman will “obviously be missed.”

“He’s a good leader (and) investigator,” Willmer continued. “The city of Grosse Pointe Park benefited from his investigative skills. Lots of cases that would have gone unsolved were resolved with his investigative techniques and hard work.”

Bostock said Pittman is “very level-headed, very well-spoken.”

“He’s been an example of what an officer and a detective should be. … He’s an even better human being. We wish him nothing but the best.”