Willie Burton
Democratic · MI
Willie E. Burton is a lifelong Detroiter and three-time Detroit Police Commissioner for District 5 who made history as the youngest Police Commissioner in the United States.
Where Willie Burton stands, based on their records
Supports
AI Regulation (2 records), Anti-Corruption (1 record), Data Privacy (2 records)
Opposes
Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record)
Track record
Track record — AI Regulation
AI Regulation · 2 support
Proposed a one-year pause on Detroit police use of facial recognition in August 2023, after it led to the false arrest of a pregnant woman. The board rejected it 5-3, with two members abstaining.
August 10, 2023Supports AI Regulation
Source: wxyz.com
Voted no on the Detroit Police Department's facial recognition policy (Directive 307.5) in September 2019. The police board approved it 8-3.
September 19, 2019Supports AI Regulation
Source: web.archive.org
Track record — Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption · 1 support
Moved at an April 2019 police board meeting to open all board committee meetings to the public, saying closed meetings broke the state Open Meetings Act. It was his third try, and no one seconded it.
April 11, 2019Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: web.archive.org
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 oppose
Voted no in June 2022 when the Detroit police board backed expanding ShotSpotter, a gunshot-detection system. The board backed it 5-4; he called the vote preposterous.
June 9, 2022Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: bridgedetroit.com
Track record — Data Privacy
Data Privacy · 2 support
Proposed a one-year pause on Detroit police use of facial recognition in August 2023, after it led to the false arrest of a pregnant woman. The board rejected it 5-3, with two members abstaining.
August 10, 2023Supports Data Privacy
Source: wxyz.com
Voted no on the Detroit Police Department's facial recognition policy (Directive 307.5) in September 2019. The police board approved it 8-3.
September 19, 2019Supports Data Privacy
Source: web.archive.org
Track record — General
General · 9 records
Missed about a third of Detroit Board of Police Commissioners meetings in 2025, his last year on the board, according to an Outlier Media attendance count.
January 7, 2026
Source: outliermedia.org
Lost the Nov. 4, 2025 race for Detroit City Council District 5 to Renata Miller, 43.1% to 55.7%.
November 4, 2025
Source: ballotpedia.org
Voted against sending the Detroit Police Department's proposed budget to the mayor in February 2024, citing unanswered questions. The board approved it with only him and one other member opposed.
February 22, 2024
Source: outliermedia.org
Won re-election to the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners for District 5 on Nov. 2, 2021, unopposed on the ballot, with 98.4% of the vote.
November 2, 2021
Source: ballotpedia.org
Complained to Detroit's Inspector General in November 2020 that the police board chair wrongly muted him at a meeting. In June 2021 the Inspector General found the chair did not abuse his authority.
June 9, 2021
Source: web.archive.org
Sued the City of Detroit in 2020 over his 2019 arrest at a police board meeting, claiming physical and emotional harm.
March 23, 2021
Source: bridgedetroit.com
Had the disorderly conduct charge from his July 2019 arrest at a police board meeting dropped.
July 18, 2019
Source: wxyz.com
Was handcuffed and briefly jailed for disorderly conduct at a July 2019 police board meeting after the chair ruled him out of order. He had been pressing questions about police use of facial recognition.
July 11, 2019
Source: fox2detroit.com
Won re-election to the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners for District 5 on Nov. 7, 2017, beating George Adams Jr. with 59.2% of the vote.
November 7, 2017
Source: ballotpedia.org
Past races Willie Burton ran in:
- 9th District Representative in State Legislature 2 Year Term (1) Position · November 3, 2026 · State House District 9; Michigan
- State Representative District 9 · August 4, 2026 · State House District 9; Michigan