WAYNE COUNTY — Mike Jaafar has been promoted to undersheriff of Wayne County, making him second in command at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, under current Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Ray Washington.

Jaafar was previously appointed to chief of operations in 2016, following his previous position as deputy chief. Jaafar also graduated from the FBI’s National Academy in 2018.

Jaafar, 46, was raised in Dearborn, graduated from Fordson High School and is the father of five. He has a long history in law enforcement within the county, dating back to 1994 when he became an officer with the Detroit Police Department. Jaafar spent 15 years at the Detroit Police Department before moving to the county sheriff’s office.

Jaafar is often noted for expressing his deep respect and admiration for the late Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, who lost his battle with COVID-19 in December at the age of 65. “I am a student of Sheriff Benny Napoleon,” Jaafar said of Napoleon in 2016. “He has a line that he taught his young officers… ‘You take care of your people, and they’ll take.'”

“Congratulations to our brother Mike Jaafar for his promotion to Under Sheriff of Wayne County,” said The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani. “Many thanks to our dear friend Sheriff Ray Washington. May God bless the soul of the late Sheriff Benny Napoleon. Mike Jaafar makes us a proud community.”

Previous Undersheriff Daniel Pfanees took over the department in the interim after Napoleon’s death. Washington was appointed following candidate interviews conducted by Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett, Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Chief Probate Judge Freddie Burton.