Commissioners learned police chief was fired months after the fact Updated Jan 19, 2021; Posted Dec 23, 2020 After 23 years with the department, Karianne Thomas is set to be sworn in as the sixth chief of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Police and firefighters have been a combine, cross trained department since 1982. Photo taken in December of 2017. (MLive.com file photo) Facebook Share KALAMAZOO, MI — Two Kalamazoo City Commissioners said they only found out that Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas was fired through an email they received from city administration sent hours before a news article revealed the truth to the public. Commissioner Chris Praedel said he found out the chief was terminated without cause from an email the city manager’s office sent to members of the Kalamazoo City Commission at 10:29 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.