GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Ahead of an Aug. 11 deadline, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne released a draft of the police department's strategic plan meant to address calls for change to the department.
The three-year plan was developed in response to a summer of protests and repeated community calls for changes to policing and the department's budget. The May death of George Floyd put a renewed focus on policing nationwide, including in Grand Rapids.
The plan includes three priorities, broadly defined as safety, innovation and engagement.
One of the main components of the plan, which if approved, would be completed by the summer of 2023, is increasing neighborhood-based policing. The department says this will make officers more accessible and be able to engage in the community more. But, it also includes the development of a crime reduction team that would utilize crime data to target small geographic areas.
Under this plan, the department alongside the city will be identifying funding for a violence reduction program, such as the Cure Violence model, which functions separate of police.
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Within the 'innovation' priority, the plan calls for finding alternative ways to respond to calls. This includes establishing permanent behavioral mental health professionals in the city's Homeless Outreach Team, which is something that city leaders have already said they plan to implement. The plan also includes having a designated team to respond to calls related to mental health and non-violent substance abuse. This team would be comprised of non-sworn staff to work alongside sworn officers.
Another aspect of innovation according to the plan, is "leveraging" tech opportunities like gunfire detection technology and developing a 'real time crime center' to access public space video.
Under 'engagement,' the plan includes a partnership with the Oversight and Public Accountability and Equity and Engagement offices to help increase trust with the community. The Grand Rapids City Commission already approved the use of GRPD funding to hire another staff member for this office. Additionally, the plan includes a goal of partnering with city middle and high schools to increase participation in the Chief's Youth Advisory Council. A recently launched campaign by the Grand Rapids for Education Justice group, calls for the GRPD to stay out of Grand Rapids Public Schools.
Demonstrators and organizations like the Defund the GRPD Campaign Coalition and the People's Budget GR and have asked for the department to be "defunded," as a part of the changes. Specifically, they asked for the police budget to be lowered to the city charter minimum of 32% and divest some of that funding to other community resources. Budget changes are not mentioned in the strategic plan. The city has said it will look at further changes to the fiscal year budget later this year.
Payne will formally present the plan to the city commission on Tuesday.
The city plans to received feedback from the community from Aug. 11-25 before presenting a finalized plan on Sept. 29.
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