After sex scandal, ex-Police Chief Ralph Godbee voices desire to move on, forgive

Detroit may not forget. But it does forgive.

Five days after Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, a pastor, resigned amidst a sex scandal, he broke his silence on Twitter this weekend with meditations on forgiveness and overcoming struggles.

“Life is about laughing & living, in good times & bad,” Godbee tweeted. “Getting through whatever comes our way & looking back & smiling.” 

Gone is his profile image: A mustachioed chief in a pressed uniform. It’s replaced with a photo of him smiling and sporting sunglasses and an orange-and-blue Tigers hat and jersey.

Quoting Buddha, Godbee tweeted about his desire to move on and leave the past behind him.

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else,” Godbee wrote. “You are the one who gets burned.”

Dozens of friends and supporters wished him well.

About Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling is an investigative journalist and former City Hall reporter for the Detroit Free Press. His stories have uncovered corruption, prompted FBI investigations and led to arrests and reforms. Neavling’s work currently explores Detroit’s unsung heroes and the inner-workings of an often misunderstood city.

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