GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids City Commission is meeting Tuesday just hours after Police Chief Eric Winstrom presented his plan to make changes to the police department to commissioners.
Activists are expected to attend the meeting and voice their opinions on GRPD's new policies during public comment.
The plan comes after months of departmental reviews and analyzing policing data from 2015 until 2021. Winstrom said he participated in more than 100 meetings with community members, police officers and organizations like the NAACP.
Winstrom emphasized that moving forward, the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) will recognize the "sanctity of life" as its top priority. Additional training in de-escalation will be given to officers.
In addition, the department's use of force policy will be updated to require warnings before using deadly force. Officers will also be required to attempt to de-escalate the situation before resorting to lethal force.
Also included in the safety plan are improving victim support services and making the department more transparent.
Training on these policies will begin Tuesday, Aug. 2 and become effective immediately after training is completed.
Winstrom said many community members want to see more officers patrolling the city, and that mutual respect between officers and the community is crucial. The department currently has 31 openings. GRPD's Special Response Team has had to assist with policing during the shortage. Winstrom said the department will continue its recruiting efforts to have a team of 305 officers.
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