Farmington Hills City Manager Appoints New Police Chief
29-year department veteran and interim chief, John Piggott, confirmed by City Council
City Manager Gary Mekjian appointed John Piggott as the new chief of the Farmington Hills Police Department at the Farmington Hills City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 24. The appointment was confirmed by the Farmington Hills City Council, as required in the City’s Charter.
“I am proud to promote John Piggott to serve as the next chief of the Farmington Hills Police Department. Over the course of nearly three decades in Farmington Hills, John has demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and dedication to community policing, making him the right person to lead the department forward,” said City Manager Gary Mekjian. “John’s deep understanding of the Farmington Hills community and commitment to public safety will continue to strengthen the relationship between the department and residents. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of his leadership in the years to come.”
Piggott had been serving as the interim police chief since mid-December, following the retirement of the Department’s previous leader. Prior to that, Piggott had served as the Department’s assistant chief since July 2021 and has been a member of the Farmington Hills Police Department since 1996 when he was hired as a police cadet. Since that time, he has continued to rise through the ranks, gaining experience in administration, investigations, operations and traffic safety, as well as serving as a school liaison officer. Through his career with the Farmington Hills Police Department, Piggott has received 46 citations and awards for exceptional police work.
Piggott has a master’s degree in business administration from Madonna University, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and an associate degree from Oakland Community College. He is also a graduate of the Police Executives’ and New Chiefs’ School through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command.
“I am honored that the city manager has asked me to step into this very important role,” said Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott. “I am excited to have the opportunity to further serve the Farmington Hills community and lead the extraordinary men and women of the Farmington Hills Police Department. I look forward to building on the Department’s excellent foundation of community service and transparency.”
Piggott was selected for the position from a pool of external and internal applicants, who participated in multiple rounds of interviews with cross-departmental City leaders, as well as leaders from the 47th District Court and Farmington Public Schools, to assess candidates’ experience and qualifications, leadership potential, alignment with the City’s needs, strategic vision and operational goals, and more.
Piggott assumes the role of police chief immediately. The City will now begin the hiring process to fill the assistant chief position.
For more information, contact the Farmington Hills City Manager’s Office at 248-871-2500.