By: Gena Johnson | West Bloomfield Beacon | Published January 22, 2026
WEST BLOOMFIELD — After 31 years of service, Deputy Police Chief Scott Mong, 57, retired from the West Bloomfield Police Department Jan. 13.
Mong started as a 26-year-old cadet in February 1995 and was hired as a police officer in October 1995 where he began his career in the patrol unit.
He then joined the special response team, served in the detective bureau, and worked as a field training officer with the patrol unit where he was promoted to sergeant.
He rejoined the detective unit and was promoted to lieutenant in May 2024. He was then promoted to deputy chief in January 2025, after the prior deputy chief, Dale Young, was promoted to police chief following the retirement of Chief Michael Patton.
Now, Brian Tash will be the new deputy chief for the West Bloomfield Police Department.
“I thank the Lord — I’ve been blessed. I’ve had a great career and enjoyed it immensely,” Mong said. “I could not have asked for a better one.”
Among the many roles Mong enjoyed at the West Bloomfield Police Department, his time with the detective bureau stood out the most.
“Working in the detective bureau was the assignment I enjoyed the most. (It was where I) gained the most knowledge and experience,” Mong said. “The detective bureau is where you see the case from start to finish.”
Among his proudest moments with the detective bureau was getting a confession in an attempted murder case.
“I was able to get the suspect to confess to me that he had stabbed the victim,” Mong said. “That was really a momentous occasion in my career.”
After reading someone their Miranda rights, it can be difficult to get them to confess, especially to a police officer, who has the power to present the case to the Prosecutor’s Office and secure an arrest warrant, he explained.
“It’s hard to do, but when the confessions did occur, they were sweet,” Mong said.
He attributed his interviewing style to having “really good mentors,” who encouraged him to develop his style, which he described as “low-key.”
“I found a hard approach did not work,” he said. “An old, retired detective once told me you catch a lot more bees with honey,” Mong said. “I just treaded lightly.”
Other proud moments include serving as a sergeant in the detective bureau.
“Being a first-line supervisor and leading the detectives was most enjoyable and rewarding,” Mong said. “We had a crew of mainly young and somewhat inexperienced detectives, and they needed to be shown the way.”
Mong offered support, guidance, interviewing techniques and instructions on how to obtain and execute search warrants.
“Schooling them in the nuances of these processes was fun,” Mong said.
He also enjoyed being a field training officer, “training the young and new officers and teaching them how to do things right and do the job with integrity,” he said.
“Integrity” was the word frequently said when Mong’s superiors described him.
“Deputy Chief Scott Mong served the West Bloomfield Police Department with integrity, humility, and a genuine commitment to others for over 30 years,” Young said. “During my first year as police chief, I relied on his honest perspective and steady guidance. I wish him all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.”
Patton, now a member of the West Bloomfield Board of Trustees, echoed the sentiment.
“(Mong) has served with great integrity, and we always had great confidence in him,” Patton said. “We wish him well in all his future endeavors, which will be very positive, for sure.”
The next chapter for Mong began his first day of retirement. He started as the chief court officer at the 44th District Court in Royal Oak, a full-time position, where he will supervise a staff of court officers made of retired law enforcement officers, and protect judges and magistrates while providing security in the courtrooms.
Even though he has a full-time job, Mong plans to spend his retirement from the police force traveling with his wife Brenda, fishing with their three sons, enjoying their growing family, and driving his candy apple red 2008 Corvette convertible.
“A long-term goal that I hope to make a reality in the near future is I’d like to buy a lakefront home — a cottage in northern Michigan,” he said.
In September 2025, the Mongs became grandparents to twin girls, and they plan to spend time with them.
After going to the same workplace for more than three decades, Mong will miss the people.
“The relationships that were built with people over a long period of time where it feels like a second family — that’s what I’ll miss most,” he said.
Mong thanked Chief Young for giving him the opportunity to be deputy chief and placing his trust in him.
“I will always respect and admire (Chief Young) for his leadership and integrity,” he said.