Ramadan Commemorative Patch Creates Segregation
SUBMITTED FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Dearborn Heights Police Officers Association (DHPOA) Executive Board, in conjunction with the Dearborn Heights Police Supervisors Association (DHPSA) Executive Board, feels compelled to address the recent reckless actions taken by Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar, which have unnecessarily placed the lives of our officers in harm’s way.
On September 3, 2025, a well-decorated senior officer of this department approached Chief Haidar with a photo of an edited Dearborn Heights Police patch. The patch included the department name written in Arabic beneath the English version. The officer’s original intent was to create a commemorative patch for officers to wear during the month of Ramadan in support of our Muslim community.
Instead of using the patch for its intended purpose, Chief Haidar unilaterally distributed it to the news media and implemented it as an optional patch for officers to wear year-round. This decision made many officers feel segregated within the department. The DHPOA Executive Board raised concerns with Chief Haidar about the potential negative repercussions, but those concerns were dismissed and refuted.
Since Chief Haidar’s reckless media release, there have been countless threats and criticisms directed not only at the senior officer, but at the entire police department.
Leadership decisions must always prioritize the safety and well-being of the men and women who serve this community. Unfortunately, Chief Haidar’s conduct has demonstrated a disregard for that responsibility. By engaging in actions that compromise operational safety, he has created unnecessary risks—risks that could have been avoided with sound judgment and respect for established contractual language and protocols.
The members of the Dearborn Heights Police Department dedicate their lives to protecting every citizen of this city, often placing themselves in dangerous situations by necessity. It is unacceptable that their safety should ever be jeopardized by poor decision-making at the top. Reckless choices undermine morale, weaken trust, and place the entire community at risk.
We call for immediate accountability and corrective action to ensure that no officer is again subjected to unnecessary danger due to reckless leadership. The safety of our officers and the trust of our community must never be compromised.
Our commitment remains firm: to protect and serve every citizen of Dearborn Heights with the utmost integrity, honor, and respect—regardless of race, gender, or religion. We demand the same level of responsibility, foresight, and respect from those entrusted to lead us.
**This message is being shared on behalf of the Dearborn POA. It does not reflect the views or opinions of POAM.**