GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The City of Grand Rapids held a virtual meeting to give an update on policy changes withing the Police Department and the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) Friday.
The city is also asking the public for input on police operations. However, this was an update-style meeting, a longer virtual town hall will be planned for the coming weeks.
"This is just a beginning," said Mark Washington, city manager.
Washington acknowledges there is a lot to discuss and "difficult conversation" to be had to enact policy. Today, he gave a new directive to the chief of police to ensure strong and clear language about an officer's duty to intervene. For example, if an officer sees another officer using excessive force.
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"I know we can do good work in recovering," said Washington, "and I'm not just talking about broken windows or broken glass, but i'm talking about broken systems in place."
Protesters have been demanding police accountability and taking a stand against police brutality, especially toward black citizens.
"We are putting action behind it," said Brandon Davis, the director of OPA, "We understand mere words are not enough. We're making action."
The city has laid out ten proposals to improve community-police relations. They include:
- Chief Payne and the OPA will work together to establish a community police advisory council by June 6.
- The city manager, police chief, OPA and Office of Equity and Engagement (OEE) will host an initial virtual town hall to listen to community concerns and seek innovative solutions.
- OPA will increase accountability by reviewing and releasing a comprehensive report and recommendations regarding the status of all prior community-police relations studies, recommendations and commitments.
- The City will host events led by subject matter experts regarding processing and healing from trauma and vicarious trauma related to racism and use of force.
- OEE, OPA and the Economic Development Department will work with business community to increase summer job opportunities for youth.
- The City will develop a Safety and Accountability Ambassador Program designed to train and equip community with tools to promote safety and accountability.
- The City will host training sessions to encourage being an ally in partnership with the community.
- OPA will work with the community to review police department policies and practices with a focus on equity and innovation and recommend improvements.
- OEE will increase and enhance training related to equity, justice, implicit bias and other related topics for City staff.
- OPA will complete a strategic plan and implement additional strategies to increase restorative justice programming, elevating community voice, and public safety engagement.
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"As we talk about what happened, over this week and over this weekend," said Davis, "it's important to center the why what happened happened. Not from a place of excusing any behavior. But talking about the real outrage and real emotion, real frustration, and the real rage that comes from seeing a system that is broken. That comes as a result of the pain seeing black men and women killed at the hands of police. That injustice it's infuriating."
The meeting took around 20 callers. The majority of them called for an emergency budget meeting. They asked the city and commissioners to review "the people's budget," which reallocates funds from GRPD into public service programs.
"I believe you could do that for the GRPD and funnel those funds into public services for people of color" said a caller named Sarah, "That's proven to keep residents safer. The time is now to defund the police and fund programs that are proven to work."
Other callers wanted to make sure future funding doesn't go toward riot gear and other equipment used during Saturday's events.
"Allocate the money that would be used to buy riot gear and chemical weapons to programs that will truly heal and empower our communities," said a caller named Jake.
The date for the virtual town hall, Davis said, will be announced early next week.
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