McKinnon career high profile, hands-on

Jack Gruber / The Detroit News

Just two years after joining the police department in 1965 he was honored for rushing into a burning home with his partner and helping rescue seven children.

He worked his way up through the ranks, heading up the department's gang squad and helping tackle drug gangs, such as Young Boys Inc., that used children and teens to peddle narcotics.

1965: Joins police department.

1967: Honored by the Detroit News as a police officer who helped save seven young people from a burning building.

1984: Retires from police force as an inspector to form private security firm.

1986: Helps police arrest two men who he said attempted to trade him a shotgun for a tire for their car.

1993: Named Detroit's new police chief. Announces appointment of five new deputy chiefs, plans to trim police budget, eliminate some upper management jobs.

1994: Transfers 72 officers from desk jobs and more than 200 others to street jobs to fulfill Archer campaign promise.

1994: Sings with Blue Pigs, police anti-drug band.

1994: Helps department collect more than 1,000 shotguns, rifles and handguns in "Shoes for Guns" amnesty program.

1994: Draws his pistol to help catch man accused of stealing parts at a Chrysler Corp. facility on city's east side.

1994: Meets regularly and in secret with members of gangs from southwest Detroit, which results in Police Athletic League youth recreation and tutoring programs starting in the area.

1995: Hands down unpaid suspension to two police department officials caught gambling at a precinct party.

1995: Tapes introductory segment for NBC's "Today Show."

1995: McKinnon, Archer appear on anti-car theft poster.

1995: Appears with and defends Detroiter and pro basketball star Derrick Coleman at a press conference after the player was arrested for blocking traffic.

1996: Speaks out against cops caught shopping on duty, says he is deploying undercover cops to monitor officers and announces that he has reduced percentage of officers on disability from 14 percent to 2 percent or less.

1995: Works into the night for two evenings with two deputy chiefs to personally correct error-filled police promotion exam, then closes department responsible for preparing it.

1995: Helps arrest man carrying a rifle on Chene on city's east side.

1995: Some Detroit Charter Commission members criticize McKinnon for promoting two deputy chiefs' relatives over other officers who scored higher on promotion exams.

1995: Announces number of arrests for felonies and offenses such as prostitution rose more than 10,000 in past year; tickets for parking, speeding, pedestrian violations rose more than 18,000; says authorization to use pepper spray reduced numbers of injuries and arrest-related lawsuits against the city.

1997: Talks woman threatening to jump off MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle into giving up and persuades man not to jump from people mover.

1997: Denies rumors he is leaving police force.

1997: Forms quartet to sing to seniors.

1997: Praised by many for his candor in talking to press about four Detroit policemen accused of running a drug pipeline from Houston to Detroit.

1997: Records 14-song CD, Chief McKinnon & Friends: What a Wonderful World, to benefit PAL.