Former Warren Police Chief Partners With Security Firm

WARREN/BRIGHTON — Former Warren Police Chief William Dwyer has partnered with Fortis Group LLC to bring his more than 60 years of law enforcement and security experience to the security management company.

“This is a great opportunity for me and for Fortis, and with my experience I think I can contribute a lot,” said Dwyer.

The partnership was formed when Dwyer and Associates, where the former commissioner is now president, joined Fortis Group, where Brian Bastianelli is CEO. Bastianelli is a retired captain with the Farmington Hills Police Department, where he served for 26 years, most of it when Dwyer was chief.

“We’ve stayed in touch professionally since he left the department,” Bastianelli said. “When he left the Warren Police Department, he reached out to me and was interested in working in the private sector. And of course, I was just thrilled. I get to work with my former chief.

“I have so much love and admiration for him,” Bastianelli said. “I feel truly blessed to be standing next to him again.”

Dwyer began his career with the Detroit Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to lead drug investigations and bust drug cartels in Mexico that were moving drugs into Detroit. He retired from the Detroit Police Department after 23 years. He then became chief of the Farmington Hills Police Department, serving 23 years, retiring and becoming chief of the Warren Police Department, where he served a total of nine years in two terms before being fired in April by Mayor Lori Stone, who is up for election in November 2023.

“I’m sad to be leaving Warren,” Dwyer said. “I miss Warren. I thought I did a great job there. I had the backs of the men and women in Warren.”

Given Dwyer’s qualifications, it was only a matter of time before he could get back to doing what he loved most.

“I want to be able to stay in the public eye, use my experience to keep people safe,” Dwyer said. “I’ve always felt that way. I feel like it’s my life.”

In his new role, he will work together with someone he once managed to ensure people’s safety.

“I hired him (in 1996),” Dwyer said. “It’s been 30 years. Brian Bastianelli is a true professional. He started Fortis Group a few years ago. I’m looking forward to working with him because I know who he is. I know his background. I know how dedicated he is. I know his professionalism. It’s really a win-win. I think it’s a win-win for me and a win-win for him and Fortis.”

Bastianelli founded Fortis in 2010. Fortis, which means “strong” in Latin, started with a focus on training and consulting for law enforcement, but quickly grew into a private investigation firm and a company engaged in covert and overt operations for schools, the public and private sectors.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fortis added licenses for security guards and private investigators. It also stepped up its security training program, and these services have resonated with its customers, Bastianelli said.

“We saw the gaps in service delivery,” Bastianelli said. “We felt we could put together a better security program. And it starts with really qualified people.”

“There’s a need for safety, the way society is and the crime rates,” Bastianelli said. “And also the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has caused a lot of safety and security concerns in the Detroit area. That’s why those verticals have become so popular.”

“After the Oxford shooting, we created a very educational security program that really took off by using retired police officers who are armed to protect the schools. As it turned out, a year after we created the program, we went to work for Oxford (public schools), so it came full circle.”

According to Bastianelli, Fortis has about 170 employees, 95% of whom are retired police officers from federal, state and local levels.