Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon officially announces Detroit mayoral run on Tuesday

Sheriff Napoleon joins race for Detroit mayor

DETROIT – Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon officially announced his candidacy for Detroit mayor during a 6 p.m. Tuesday news conference at the Masonic Temple.

Napoleon, 57, formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for the city's mayoral office.

Watch: UNCUT: Benny Napoleon's Detroit mayoral candidacy announcement

"I'm asking them, am I the right man for the job? Am I the guy that they want? If they say no then I won't run," he said. "I think the answer is going to be, 'I think we want you to do this.'"

Napoleon joins former Detroit Medical Center chairman Mike Duggan and state representatives Fred Durhal and Lisa Howze as Detroit mayor candidates.

The Sheriff has been in the spotlight for 25 years. He was head of the Gang Squad before becoming police chief.

While his law enforcement background is a key asset, Napoleon feels it's his deep roots in the community that are his biggest strengths.

"I've reached out and touched so many people in this community, personally. Over the course of my career I've found lost children, I've solved homicides, I've found lost parents. Those are things you really can't quantify," he said.