Detroit: Saul Green to retire as deputy mayor; No reason given for decision

By Corey Williams Associated Press DETROIT (AP) -- Detroit Deputy Mayor Saul Green, who helped bring integrity back to the mayor's office during the tumultuous period following Kwame Kilpatrick's ouster, will retire next month, Mayor Dave Bing announced Monday. Bing said in a statement that Green, a former U.S. attorney in Michigan, will step down June 10. No reason was given for Green's decision to leave the post he's held since 2008. "It was an honor to serve the City of Detroit and Mayor Dave Bing," Green said. "I am proud of the progress that has been made during my tenure to improve public safety and restore trust in City Hall." Green was first appointed to the job by then-Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., who succeeded the disgraced Kilpatrick as mayor in September 2008. Bing chose to keep Green as his deputy in May 2009, after Bing defeated Cockrel in a runoff election. At the time, Green said restoring faith in city government was a top priority after the months of public embarrassment following a text-messaging sex scandal involving the married Kilpatrick and his chief of staff. Green was in charge of the city's police and fire operations, and had the task of making sure Detroit abided by federal consent decrees to stop abuses in police use of force and prisoner treatment. "No one better exemplifies what it means to be a public servant than Saul Green," Bing said. "As my deputy mayor and executive over public safety, he brought an unparalleled sense of integrity, competency and leadership to City Hall. We respect his years of service and wish him all the best in his retirement." President Bill Clinton appointed Green U.S. Attorney for Michigan's Eastern District in 1994. He held that position for about seven years, later serving as senior counsel for a law firm. Green was appointed in 2002 as federal monitor over the Cincinnati Police Department which had been accused of targeting and harassing blacks. Published: Wed, May 25, 2011