This year to date, DPD has conducted 12 preliminary inquiries and only one risk assessment of an officer's conduct.
Hey y’all! Today at 03:00 PM, I’ll live-tweet the #Detroit Board of Police Commissioners meeting for #DETdocumenters. 🧵
Our partners: @DetDocumenters, @media_outlier, @BridgeDet313, @chalkbeatDET, @CitizenDetroit, @Detour_Detroit, @freep, @metrotimes, @PlanetDetroit, @wdet.
12:35 PM Jul 7, 2022 CDT
Join the BOPC by phone, online, or in person at 1301 Third Street: https://detroitmi.gov/events/board-police-commissioners-meeting-july-7-2022
We’ll have notes, recordings, and archived materials from this meeting: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/board-of-police-commissioners-4154/
📎 Follow along with today’s agenda! I may refer to numbered items throughout: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/events/2022-07/Agenda%20July%207%2C%202022.pdf https://t.co/D895420wma
🏃 Need to catch up on the BOPC? See @HeatherPInTheD’s tweets from last week’s meeting: https://twitter.com/HeatherPInTheD/status/1541819554430697472
See our past BOPC reporting: https://detroit.documenters.org/reporting/?search=board+of+police+commissioners
🗞 Last month, Detroit police commissioners voted to support a $7 million contract for @shotspotter. The police department is campaigning to build public support to expand the audio surveillance system. @BryceHuffman313 and @PolarBarrett have the story: https://www.bridgedetroit.com/police-oversight-board-weighs-in-on-detroit-shotspotter-expansion/
Detroit police are using AI-powered surveillance for security checkpoints. The city approved a $1.3 million contract for ten @EvolvTechnology weapon detectors for police to use at events. @other_eli reported: https://wdet.org/2022/06/07/detroit-police-are-using-ai-surveillance-checkpoints-to-target-gun-possession-this-summer/
❓The Board of Police Commissioners oversees @detroitpolice (DPD). They decide DPD’s budget, write policies, review citizen complaints, and discipline police officers.
The board meets weekly with monthly community meetings.
Learn about the board: https://detroitmi.gov/government/boards/board-police-commissioners
Your elected Board of Police Commissioners:
• Bryan Ferguson, chair/District 1
• Annie Holt, vice chair/at-large
• Linda Bernard, D2
• @ApostleCBanks, D3
• Willie Bell, D4
• @WillieBurton313, D5
• Lisa Carter, D6
• @RicardoDetroit, D7
…
Your commissioners, continued:
• Jesus Hernandez, at-large
• Jim Holley, at-large
• @q_pressley, at-large
Don’t know your district? See this map: https://detroitmi.gov/webapp/interactive-district-map
Learn about your commissioners: https://detroitmi.gov/government/boards/board-police-commissioners#block-views-block-council-members-block-1
Find something inaccurate? Email documenters@outliermedia.org with the subject “Correction Request”. I’ll add corrections at the end.
Need image descriptions? Reply and I’ll describe images for you.
Those are my pre-game notes. See you at 03:00 PM!
The online meeting is now live. Melanie White is the board’s interim secretary. #DETdocumenters https://t.co/nANFUC1xAC
And they’re back. Commissioner Holley is here. Someone remarks that this meeting should be fast since we only have one closed session on the agenda.
They’re still setting up. https://t.co/Nwv6DwSLBE
Wondering if DPD chief James White will be here to give his usual report at this meeting, given his press conference. https://twitter.com/cferretti_Det/status/1545098580532363264
And now we have picture.
Chair Ferguson laughs about his new seat on the board.
Interim secretary White says they’re delayed, DoIT is still setting up some technology. https://t.co/27ucHjb4Ma
⌚️ At 03:01 PM, the meeting starts! They start recording the online meeting. Interim secretary White says public comment requests are welcome until 04:00 PM.
Commissioner Holley calls the meeting to order, instead of Chair Ferguson. Holley says he’ll do so until they install their new personnel. He recites a statement about the DPD officer who was killed last night. https://t.co/jJyu4raWFl
Holley advocates for gun control laws. He also asks the community to “support better civil behavior”.
Holley calls for holds ten seconds of silence for the DPD officer.
He says Judge Dnise Page Hood will do… something for new officers. I didn’t catch it.
Chaplain Mary Lockley joins remotely to give the invocation prayer. https://t.co/XcQsLRwVCL
👤 Roll call! Present commissioners: Ferguson, Bernard, Banks, Burton, Moore, Hernandez, Holt, Pressley.
Commissioners Bell and Carter submitted excused absenses.
They approve this meeting’s agenda, and last meeting’s minutes.
👥 The board introduces their staff: Don Handyside, DoIT, Christopher Michaels, Theresa Blossom, Robert Brown, Jania Underwood, Tiffany Stewart, interim Lawrence Akbar, Anesley Cromwell, Lisson Islam, Rosalie Madrigal, Missy Akata, Stephanie Beaty.
DPD deputy chief is here instead of DPD chief White, with Mark Young, Dietrich Lieber, Donna Mccord, Mes Frambro, Mark Young, Richard.
Guests: Judge Denise Page Hood, Fredia Butler, Marie Overall, a state representative’s office member, former police commissioner William Davis, a founder of Hood Research, Tunana Simpson, Tawana Morse.
Looks like we’re swearing in Ferguson and Holt to their new positions.
CORRECTION: Judge Denise Hood is here to swear in Ferguson and Holt.
Hood gives a positive statement about the board, and an extended metaphor about the shoes that Ferguson and Holt will have to fill.
Hood swears Ferguson and Holt into their new positions as chair and vice chair, respectively. https://t.co/v8pp6LXqGt
Hood congratulates the outgoing chair Holley on “a job well done”.
Chair Ferguson now leads the meeting, again mourning the loss of the DPD officer. https://t.co/E5Fr1NIcsX
Ferguson continues his statement: “The menace of gun violence is not a police problem. It’s a social problem that requires us to vote and advocate, and vote and advocate, again and again until people are safe in our city.”
Ferguson says that the board has an upcoming training session on July 23, starting 08:00 PM. https://t.co/7bNbuoZ45f
Ferguson says that the board has an upcoming training session on July 23, starting 08:00 PM.
📝 At 03:25 PM, the board proceeds to the Chief of Police report. The DPD deputy chief speaks again about the officer who was killed.
DPD’s crime report from the past week: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/events/2022-07/220704%20DPD%20Weekly%20Stats.pdf
Crime report from last Tuesday: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/events/2022-07/220705%20DPD%20Stats.pdf https://t.co/J3IFWYGbHv
The DPD deputy chief gives more details about officer Loren Courts’s death.
Moving on, six other officers from the 2nd, 7th, and 9th precincts are off-duty and recovering from injuries.
DPD has 27 officers in quarantine due to COVID. The deputy chief says that’s an increase.
Deputy chief says there are decreases in homicides and non-fatal shootings, year-to-date. The department is focusing on carjackings and drag racing.
DPD deputy chief says in the past week:
• 39 traffic stops
• 27 citations
• 3 vehicle impounds
• 3 felony arrests
• 2 weapons confiscated
DPD deputy chief also gives some year-to-date stats:
• 192 citations
• 72 vehicle impounds
• 8 midemeanor arrests
• 19 weapons confiscated
A DPD officer is missing, after responding to an incident. There was a connection between the officer and the offender.
The deputy chief also talks about the homicide of a delivery driver, a dead body found in a vehicle, and a firearm incident in a crowd.
DPD hosted a men’s wellness event at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters last week.
DPD also held a recruiting drive with a “one-stop application process” at DPSH.
Deputy chief says they have 16 new DPD officers who will swear into the department this week.
Chair Ferguson asks the deputy chief to add statistics on ATVs they’ve impounded to their regular reports. The deputy chief says they’re “working on a strategy on the ATVs”.
Ferguson asks what happens to the ATVs. The deputy chief says they’re impounded, but isn’t sure what happens after that.
Holley says “I just get so upset with the fact that we continue to accept to this kind of behavior”, referring to the death of DPD officer Loren Courts.
Commissioner Burton asks what the board could do to “give this department support during these times”. Deputy chief says that words of appreciation from the board “means a lot”.
Commissioner Hernandez echoes others’ comments about DPD officer Courts and social responsibility.
Commissioner Banks offers his support to chair Ferguson’s new position and likewise echoes others’ comments about the DPD officer’s death.
Commissioner Pressley echoes others’ comments about the “sadness and sick nature of violence in our community”. He asks about the department’s mental health services. …
The deputy chief says they have “a network that is constantly growing of support for our members” as well as mental health professionals embedded in critical incident debriefing.
The deputy chief also mentions their chaplain corps.
Commissioner Moore says “we need to take a deep dive into this issue” and says the Federal Communications Commission “needs to be held accountable” for violent video games and music.
Commissioner Bernard recalls visiting the hospital where DPD officer Courts was received, and the family’s reaction to Courts’s death. She offers “anything I can do personally or professionally” to the family.
Bernard echoes Moore’s comments about violence in video games and music, adding that the shooter was 19 years old. “He has been probably playing these video games his whole life. […] It’s a real problem.”
Bernard also asks why so many officers are resigning.
Deputy chief says they hire officers in waves, suggesting why they resign in waves.
Vice chair Holt talks but her audio is not great. She thanks DPD officers and asks the public to “develop […] as a habit” thanking officers. Someone gives her another microphone.
Commissioner Bernard wants a Thin Blue Line flag to be flown at every precinct.
Chair Ferguson reminds again about the board training session, stressing again that all boardmembers should attend. Interim secretary White says all commissioners have gotten email notifications. Someone asks for the location, but Ferguson says that’s “top secret”.
Office of the Chief Investigator was also scheduled to present today, but interim secretary White says it’s been postponed. She says there are currently 1,078 open investigations, 850 of them categorized as “backlog”. 473 cases were completed. The office has 7 vacancies.
📊 At 04:07 PM, the board proceeds to a presentation from DPD’s Risk Management Unit.
Dawn Mccord presents the risk management Year-to-Date report. Mccord says this is to identify at-risk DPD members. https://t.co/fVYJmOucEI
The DPD chief attends “Peers + meetings” with DPD employees occassionally. Mccord says these meetings are non-punitive. https://t.co/JO2rUwAJJS
Mccord continues with statistics on preliminary inquiries and risk assessments.
Mccord closes her presentation.
Mccord shares some successes: They did a risk assessment of a DPD employee, but they ultimately determined that the employee was in the right. Another employee also completed a mitigation strategy and training. Mccord says they now perform better https://t.co/y5IvNiCT83
DPD officers are able to check their own MAS page.
Ferguson asks about the first mentioned incident. Mccord says it “takes time” since it’s a “thorough” report. Ferguson also asks about risk mitigation mentoring. Mccord says DPD supervisors do this with officers.
Commissioner Holley says the report “really grabbed me”. He says he’s concerned about how DPD communicates this report to the community. “It’s not just us that you’re talking to. You’re also talking to the community.” Holley asks how they could make this report less complicated.
DPD deputy chief responds to Holley, saying that this risk assessment model was newly implemented in response to a problem. He expects the process to be more “results-based going forward”.
Commissioner Moore asks who assesses the department as a whole, such as staffing issues. Mccord says that’s outside the scope of risk assessment. DPD deputy chief reassures Moore that they do so, referring to their legal advisor, Grant.
Commissioner Moore also asks if they make reports of these internal issues available. The deputy chief says they don’t, but they have daily reviews of (COMPSTAT) data.
Commissioner Burton commends Mccord on her presentation. He says he now has information he could share with constituents and looks forward to Mccord returning to present the next report. “We’re looking for fresh ideas […] tools and resources for us to be effective in our work.”
Mccord thanks DPD captain Dietrich Lieber and sergeant Demisha.
Commissioner Bernard also thanks Mccord for her report, saying that “it’s designed to weed out officers that may prove to be troublesome or cost the city or community millions of dollars of resources and time”.
Bernard also recalls the Farmington Hills police department that used images of Black people as target practice. https://www.blac.media/news-features/farmington-hills-police-chief-used-images-of-black-men-for-target-practice/
Commissioner Bernard asks if body-worn camera footage is reviewed daily. Mccord says no, but “there is a certain number that each supervisor in the department has to review daily.”
Commissioner Banks recalls a public commenter who said they were intimidated by a DPD detective. Deputy chief says the detective handling that case has a different department role, overseeing evictions. He says their investigation is not yet complete, and to give them two weeks.
Commissioner Holt recalls an incident where a family confronted two DPD officers, and one of them apologized in writing. Holt asks how they could encourage this behavior. …
Mccord says citizens can make complaints to DPD, and says one of their offices (Mccord struggles to recall the name) can host dialogue between a citizen and an officer.
Mccord clarifies that the Office of Internal and External Relations hosts dialogue between citizens and officers.
Commissioner Moore how citizens can access this process. Deputy chief says captain Tanya Leonardo oversees that process. I myself am still not sure how it happens.
Commissioner Moore asks again how citizens can talk with officers they have a complaint with. Deputy chief says it’s on a case-by-case scenario, based on case reviews and command-level investigations.
This is still pretty opaque to me.
Pressley asks if citizens can initiate the aforementioned dialogue. Deputy chief refers to the community policing portal, the “MPO portal”, and contacting second deputy chief Kyra Hope.
📝 At 04:45 PM, the board proceeds to reports from the secretary and incoming communications. This includes the “DPD Responses to the Task Force on 21st Century Policing”, in addition to the usual DPD reports on facial recognition, ShotSpotter, and Project Green Light.
DPD’s reports on their usage of surveillance technology:
Facial recognition: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/events/2022-07/220704%20BOPC%20Facial%20Rec%20Report.pdf
ShotSpotter: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/events/2022-07/220704%20BOPC%20ShotSpotter.pdf https://t.co/W8XvGvWw0R
Interim secretary White says the board has received the “DPD Responses to the Task Force on 21st Century Policing”. White also refers to several conferences that boardmembers can attend.
🧳 At 04:48 PM, the board proceeds to unfinished business. On the agenda is a “Personnel & Training Committee Report”. Commissioner Holley starts giving this report.
Holley says the city’s talent acquisition specialist, under the city HR department, gave them a report. …
Holley says they need to bring all BOPC staff vacancies to the board secretary and the chief investigator before bringing them to the board. City HR screens the candidates for BOPC staff positions.
Holley says his committee will bring weekly updates to the board on staffing.
Commissioner Bernard says she wasn’t aware they were hiring a legal and administrative assistant. She says they already have one, and hasn’t seen an organizational chart. …
Interim secretary says they distribute the org chart that “has existed for four or five years” at training sessions and says they do have an assistant, but there are more vacancies for that position.
Other boardmembers seem displeased with Bernard.
Bernard insists that since they have a $500 million budget, they need a lawyer and “infrastructure that allows us to operate efficiently”.
Commissioner Moore pushes back, comparing the board to the city council which has several people working for each councilmember.
Commissioner Holt asks “would it be inappropriate for us to revisit that [organizational] structure?”
Commissioner Holley says “we can’t just revisit it every time”.
Commissioner Holt recalls voting upon the organizational structure in 2019.
Moving on…
Commissioner Burton moves to give public commenters an additional 30 seconds just for this meeting, saying some may have technical difficulties or mobility challenges. …
Bernard seconds it. Pressley says he “trusts the discretion of the chair” in giving individual commenters more time. Bernard agrees, withdraws her second, and the motion fails.
Commissioner Bernard talks about building private offices for the board, pushing back on that city council-approved proposal as they still have staffing issues. She says the office space would be “maybe half the size of this room”. …
Commissioner Holley says they don’t have a place to put the staffmembers they have to hire. “Stevie Wonder can see this.” Holley is angry. “You got an office! […] Why shouldn’t the staff have an office?”
Holley continues: “I resent this.”
Interim secretary White says they received approval to get funding from another source, and that …
“this was a longstanding item […] You have several personnel that will be coming on board who will need private confidential areas to handle [their] responsibilities.”
Chair Ferguson asks boardmembers to read their emails, then tries to move the meeting forward. “This discussion is over with.”
Commissioner Burton tries to say something about budget but Ferguson shuts him down.
Commissioner Banks asks the board to “keep the harmony”.
Commissioner Banks brings up a public comment from a previous meeting, which spoke negatively on the board. Banks asks them to give the board more time. He invites dialogue between commissioners and with the public. “I really truly value relationships.”
🎺 Announcements!
I forgot the pre-write this part, so please see the agenda at the top of the thread for the announcements section.
📣 At 07:10 PM, the board proceeds to hear public comments! The agenda says commenters are limited to two minutes.
Toana recites a statement: “The shooting of officer Courts was the last straw.” They express support for officers. “I’ve seen a change since 1973.”
Co-founder of Hood Research: “We hear so many complaints, complaints, complaints, but no solutions. […] It is important that we show thte children in our community that we care.” …
They say they partnered with a school and provide tutoring. “You too can help make a difference if you care. […] More power than the gun is your vote.”
Someone representing a crime victim: The victim’s car was stolen, but the police recovered it. The representative says DPD is charging them $375 to release the car. When they visited DPD on Sunday, the building was closed.
… Interim secretary White asks this commenter to talk with her afterwards.
The representative adds that they’re charging the victim $15 a day before they finally recover the car.
DPD lieutenant: Also speaks upon the death of DPD officer Courts. They also say faith leaders are notably absent. “Pontificating against the police have empowered criminals and it’s out of control.”
Peter Rhodes, city councilmember Angela Whitfield-Calloway officemember: Introduces himself, says he will be monitoring the board’s meetings.
Vicki: Also speaks on the death of DPD officer Courts, offers condolences to victims of violence. They ask if the board has influence in police union negotiations “so we can get equitable compensation”.
William: Speaks on the death of DPD officer Courts. “We have too much violence going on in the city. More needs to be done.” Suggests the board to do public service announcements. “The city seems to find money to give money to millionaires and billionaires every day.”
Brenda: Also speaks on the death of DPD officer Courts. “We have sat and watched and begged and pleaded and been involved and been trying to get these cowards off the street. …
…“It’s inevitable that people who run towards bullets will end up with bullets too. […] We’re gonna be here again.” Brenda is upset.
Roo: Talks to officers – “You gotta protect yourself at all costs. ‘Cause […] you need to make it home to your families.” …
They then say that commissioner Bell, interim secretary White, Charlie Jones, Cromwell are “frauds”. They refer to an misconduct incident where an officer him. …
“The Board of Police Commissioners is complicit in this whole quagmire of corruption that is going on in the city of Detroit.”
💼 At 05:31 PM, the board proceeds to new business.
Chair Ferguson promotes a community event.
They have to vote on an unpaid administrative leave (with medical benefits) for officer Muntathar Al-Tamimi (badge number 33, 9th precinct).
Interim secretary White refers to BOPC newspaper ads they have in the @MIChronicle and El Central, “educating the community on the board”.
@MIChronicle Now voting to go into closed session to discuss DPD officer Al-Tamimi’s administrative leave. All approve.
🔒 At 05:33 PM, the board goes into a closed session. https://t.co/kxFEMactkv
@MIChronicle I’ll mention the DETdocumenters hashtag when I return.
PHEW! I think I need to ice my fingers. I’m surprised I kept up with the pace of this meeting. It’s better than a long dragging meeting, but I gotta wonder if everyone else is able to parse everything said. https://t.co/A1X0kbp0Cd
@MIChronicle 🔓 At 06:13 PM, the Board of Police Commissioners comes back from their closed session. They’re recording the online meeting again. The board all approve to reconvene. #DETdocumenters https://t.co/1TseQ911zg
@MIChronicle Now they have to vote on DPD officer Al-Tamimi’s administrative leave. The board needs two-thirds majority for approval. A commissioner moves to approve.
@MIChronicle Bernard remarks, “You can make a police officer into a criminal by depriving him or her of income. […] I cannot support that a person should be deprived of their income without a finding of guilt.”
@MIChronicle Bernard says they should find employment for DPD officer Al-Tamimi.
Now a vote. Banks interrupts to ask if Al-Tamimi was convicted, but they press on with the vote.
It fails. Commissioners Bernard, Burton, and Banks voted against.
BOPC’s next Board of Police Commissioners meeting will be next Wednesday, July 13: https://detroitmi.gov/Calendar-and-Events?term_node_tid_depth_1=1676
Detroit Documenters will offer more notes and archived materials from this meeting: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/board-of-police-commissioners-4154/
That’s my live coverage of this Detroit Board of Police Commissioners meeting. As always, thank you for following along!
Check out @DetDocumenters to find more about your local government and how to become a Documenter yourself: https://detroit.documenters.org/
Read these tweets on Mastodon (@civicDetroitDan@a2mi.social): https://a2mi.social/@civicDetroitDan/108607065679386372