Sep 22, 2026 Public Safety Committee Meeting

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DISCUSSION IN BACK ROOM. SO I'M GOING TO CALL PUBLIC SAFETY TO ORDER. AND FIRST UP, WE HAVE AN

[1. Update on GRFD Reaccreditation from Commission on Fire Accreditation International]

WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME IS WE'RE PRETTY DARN GOOD, BUT WE'RE NOT PERFECT. WE WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. REACCREDITATION IN THIS PROCESS IS ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

EXCELLENCE IS NOT A FORMALITY. IT'S NOT A CHECK BOX. THEY REALLY PUT THE SCREWS TO YOU EVERY TIME YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THEY PUSH YOU TO GET BETTER. AND WE HAVE PEERS COME IN FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO EVALUATE US. THERE ARE FOUR MAIN AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THROUGH ACCREDITATION. FIRST OFF ARE A LOT OF DOCUMENTS. I'M TALKING LIKE ABOUT A THOUSAND PAGES OF DOCUMENTS, SELF-ASSESSMENT, STANDARDS OF COVERAGE, HOW WE RESPOND, RISK ASSESSMENT AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN STRATEGIC PLAN. A PEER REVIEW TEAM IS ASSIGNED.

AGAIN, THESE ARE CHIEF OFFICERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF SIMILAR OR LARGER SIZED AGENCIES. THEY REVIEW ALL THE DOCUMENTS, ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND IF WE MEET A CERTAIN LEVEL, THEN THEY DECIDE TO COME ON SITE. WE HOSTED THEM A FEW MONTHS AGO HERE IN THE CITY FOR A WEEK. THEY FLY IN ON A SUNDAY EVENING. WE DO A TOUR. CITY MANAGER. I BELIEVE LOU WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE WELCOMING CEREMONY AND THEN THREE FOUR DAYS OF INTERVIEWS, IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES, HUMAN RESOURCES, WATER DEPARTMENT, YOU NAME IT. THESE ASSESSORS ARE DIGGING THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES WHAT IT SAYS IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO. AND THEN FINALLY, A COMMISSION HEARING MUCH LIKE THIS, THERE'S A COMMISSION OF 15 BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE SAT BEFORE RECENTLY IN CHICAGO AND HAVE TO PRESENT YOUR CASE ON WHY YOU SHOULD BE REACCREDITED. THIS IS THE WORK OF MANY. I AM SIMPLY THE FIRE CHIEF. AND I WILL TELL YOU, AS A FORMER ACCREDITATION MANAGER, THIS IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, BUT IT'S VALUABLE WORK. OUR ACCREDITATION MANAGER, MISS ALEX BASLER, GOT US THROUGH THIS CYCLE, AND LAST WEEK PASSED THE TORCH TO CAPTAIN SCOTT LANGLOIS, WHO'S GOING TO BE ACCREDITATION MANAGER FOR THE NEXT CYCLE. WE ALSO HAD ACTING LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITOR BRAMAN ROUND OUT THE THE CORE TEAM.

BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT ABOUT 15 TO 20% OF THE DEPARTMENT WORKED ON THIS.

FIREFIGHTERS ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH EVERY RANK. AGAIN, WE'RE PRETTY GOOD, BUT WE'RE NOT PERFECT. 18 RECOMMENDATIONS CAME OUT OF THIS PROCESS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT THAT IS PRETTY GOOD. THE FIRST FEW CYCLES WE HAD PROBABLY 25 TO 27 RECOMMENDATIONS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU DATA PEOPLE WILL LIKE THIS. WE DO NOT DO A GREAT JOB IN TELLING OUR STORY. I HAVE VERY GOOD FIRE DATA IN STATISTICS. I DO NOT HAVE GREAT DATA IN STATISTICS FOR TECHNICAL RESCUE, FOR WATER RESCUE, FOR FIRE PREVENTION. AND THEY SAID, YOU HAVE A GOOD DEPARTMENT, BUT YOU NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON OUTCOMES, NOT INPUTS. SO ABOUT NINE OF THE 18 RECOMMENDATIONS IS FOR US TO GO TO OUR PROGRAMS AND IDENTIFY OUTCOMES FOR THESE PROGRAMS. SO THE CITY AND OUR CITIZENS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE BUYING, WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE THEY'RE PURCHASING. AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. IT IS NOT JUST A PHRASE ON A WALL. IT IS SOMETHING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADOPTED AGAIN, ABOUT 15 TO 20 YEARS AGO. IT TOOK US TEN YEARS, THE FIRST TIME THROUGH, TO GET READY. AND NOW WE'RE 15 YEARS INTO THIS CYCLE. SO LONG TIME COMING. VERY PROUD OF THIS ORGANIZATION, PROUD OF THE CITY FOR SUPPORTING US, AND CERTAINLY OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS PROCESS. THANKS, CHIEF. AND I DON'T I FIRST WANT TO LEAD WITH THE THE

[00:05:03]

SO THANKS, COMMISSIONER KILGORE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I CONCUR. THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. IF FURTHER. WELL, FIRST, I'LL START BY SAYING I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR MINDSET WITH THIS AND MOVING FORWARD. AS YOU MAY KNOW, I LOVE COOKING AND I THINK PUBLIC SERVICE IS MUCH LIKE COOKING. EVEN IF A RECIPE YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S PERFECT, SOMEONE CAN OFFER YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT'S A GOOD MINDSET TO BE IN FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. AND THEN COULD YOU FOR THE PUBLIC, JUST GIVE MAYBE ONE EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLKS WHO MAYBE ARE LIKE MYSELF, NOT FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH WHAT A RECOMMENDATION MAY LOOK LIKE? SURE. SO THE PEER TEAM COMES IN AND AGAIN EVALUATES EVERY AREA OF THE DEPARTMENT. A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DO A ESSENTIALLY FAIL SAFE TESTING OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS. SO WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE. WE HAVE CERTAIN BUILDINGS, CERTAIN PARTS OF BUILDINGS WHERE OUR RADIOS SIMPLY DON'T WORK. AND WE DO POST SOMEONE WHERE THE RADIO STOPS WORKING. WE HAVE CELL PHONES. WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT RUNNERS, DIFFERENT THINGS. WE DO. WE HAVE A POLICY, BUT WE WE DON'T PRACTICE THAT LIKE WE NEED TO WRITE. AND THEY SAID, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU'VE PRACTICED THAT? AND I'M LIKE, OH BOY, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. RIGHT? SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS AT LEAST ANNUALLY TO RUN THROUGH A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE TO MAKE SURE OUR COMPANY OFFICERS KNOW WHEN THEY'RE IN THE BASEMENT OF A LARGE BUILDING, THAT IT'S SECOND NATURE TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO AGAIN, WE HAVE THINGS IN PLACE, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER AT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE. THANKS. OKAY. I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION. FIRST OF ALL, WONDERFUL WORK. COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE A GREAT DEPARTMENT AND YOU REPRESENT THEM WELL. I ALSO HAVE SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF TIME SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE THAT YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT SERVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AT TIMES, BECAUSE OF OUR EXPERTISE, WHETHER THAT'S EQUIPMENT OR TRAINING OR JUST THE SIZE OF PERSON POWER HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, DOES THAT COME INTO ACCOUNT? HOW DO THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF GRAND RAPIDS GO INTO THIS AS THEY'RE EVALUATING YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NUANCE THERE THAT SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE? YEAH. EXTERNAL EXTERNAL RELATIONS IS A CATEGORY IN THIS. SO THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE A GOOD DEPARTMENT THAT YOU'RE GIVING BACK TO THE FIRE SERVICE. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS THAT TEACH AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. WE HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS GIVEN EACH YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND EVEN OUR AUTO AND MUTUAL AID PARTNERS IN THE LOCAL AREA. THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE INTERACT AND GIVE BACK. SO YEAH, WE DID PRETTY WELL IN THAT AREA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I TOO, WANT TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION TO THE CHIEF AND ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS IN THE DEPARTMENT.

AND ALSO, IF THE CHIEF COULD JUST HIGHLIGHT AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE HE RECENTLY ENHANCED THROUGH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH NETWORK 180. CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT FOR THE COMMITTEE THOSE EXPANDED HOURS AND RESOURCES? YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO AS PART OF OUR HEARING IN CHICAGO, THE LEAD PEER ASSESSOR HIGHLIGHTS REALLY GOOD PROGRAMS AT EACH DEPARTMENT. THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT HE HIGHLIGHTED IN GRAND RAPIDS WERE THE EMPOWER TEAM AND THE HOT TEAM. THESE ARE IN PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

[00:10:05]

[2. Presentation regarding Code Compliance]

ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CONNIE BOHAC. I'M SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. AND JOINING ME TODAY IS OUR ASSISTANT COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR, SCOTT BAKER, AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS COORDINATOR BERNARD SCHAEFER. SO I'VE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR CODE COMPLIANCE SINCE JANUARY 1ST OF 2010. I WAS GIFTED A DEPARTMENT THAT AT THAT TIME THE BUDGET HAD BEEN SLASHED. AND THE DAY BEFORE I STARTED, 50% OF THE STAFF. IT WAS THEIR LAST DAY ON DECEMBER 31ST DUE TO MASSIVE LAYOFFS THAT THE CITY WAS HAVING AND EXPERIENCING. SO OVER THOSE SUBSEQUENT YEARS, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE WAY FAR ALONG, RIGHT? WE DID A LOT OF WORK EXAMINING ALL OF OUR FUNCTIONS AND PROCESSES AND REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE TRANSFORM OUR SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT SERVICES WITH A STAFFING MODEL THAT WAS SO REDUCED AND NO RESOURCES. AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DID IN THOSE BEGINNING YEARS AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IT WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM A LOT OF STAFF. MANY OF THEM ARE NOT HERE ANY LONGER, BUT A FEW OF THEM ARE, AND THEY CONTINUE.

AND IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE IN THE CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT, THE INNOVATION THAT IS THAT YOU SEE, YOU MAY NOT SEE IT, BUT IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. AND IN PARTICULAR AND IN PARTICULAR, OUR APPROACHES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE. SO OUR MISSION IS REALLY SIMPLE TO PROTECT AND PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY, ELIMINATE BLIGHT, AND PRESERVE HOUSING STOCK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. BUT HOW WE ACCOMPLISH THAT WORK IS REALLY CRITICAL. AND THAT'S WHERE EVOLUTION CONTINUES TO TAKE PLACE. WE MAKE GREAT STRIDES, I BELIEVE, IN TRYING TO BALANCE THAT WORK WITH PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TO RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP REDUCE BARRIERS TO COMPLIANCE. AND MR. SCHAEFER IS GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IMPORTANT WORK IN THE PRESENTATION. AND SO NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. BAKER, WHO IS THE EXPERT, AND HE'LL HIGHLIGHT OUR CORE SERVICES, INCLUDING INSPECTIONS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH NUISANCE ZONING AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODES.

THANK YOU. CONNIE. I'M PROUD TO SAY I'M ONE OF THOSE SURVIVORS OF THE LAYOFFS. GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. FIRST THING WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS IS, IS, IS NUISANCE ORDINANCE. NUISANCE ORDINANCE IS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SEE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IT CAN HAVE THE BIGGEST NEGATIVE IMPACT. WHEN YOU DRIVE THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD AND SEE TALL GRASS AND TRASH, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT NOTICE A HOUSE THAT HAS A ROOF OR PEELING PAINT ISSUES. IN 1980S, THE CITY HAD A RAT PROBLEM, SO IT INSTITUTED A TRASH REDUCTION PROGRAM IN ITS CORE NEIGHBORHOODS. THOSE INSPECTORS ARE OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY, WALKING THE STREETS LOOKING FOR TALL GRASS, TRASH AND RUBBISH IN YARDS IN INOPERABLE VEHICLES. CURRENTLY, OUR DEPARTMENT IS MADE UP OF FOUR INSPECTORS ALONG THOSE LINES, TWO OF WHICH DO PROACTIVE INSPECTIONS, TWO OF WHICH DO FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS.

COMPLAINTS THAT OUR OFFICE RECEIVES. ON AVERAGE, WE HANDLE JUST OVER 9100 CASES ANNUALLY, WITH 59% OF THOSE CASES BEING GENERATED BY STAFF DOING THE PROACTIVE WORK. FOR OUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE IS THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, KNOWN AS THE IPMC, ALONG WITH SOME LOCAL AMENDMENTS. THIS IS THE ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THE

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THIS REDUCES THE FEE PER INSPECTION AS WE CHARGE FOR THAT WRITTEN NOTICE. IF THE OWNER CAN COMPLY IN THAT 14 DAY TIMELINE AND THEY MEET OTHER CRITERIA, WE GIVE THEM A SIX YEAR CERTIFICATION FOR THE SAME PRICE AS THE FOUR YEAR. IF AN OWNER CAN'T COMPLY IN THAT 14 DAYS AND WE HAVE TO ISSUE A NOTICE, OR THEY'VE HAD SOME OTHER ISSUES BETWEEN THE RENTAL INSPECTIONS, THEN THEY RECEIVE A FOUR YEAR RENTAL CERTIFICATION. ALL OTHERS THAT REQUIRE ENFORCEMENT THROUGH LEGAL ACTION WILL RECEIVE A TWO YEAR RENTAL CERTIFICATION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SYSTEM HAS WORKED REALLY WELL FOR US OVER THE YEARS, AND WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT WE CERTIFY OUR HOUSES. 95% OF THEM ARE CERTIFIED WITHOUT TAKING ANY LEGAL ACTION. IN 2012, THE CITY ADOPTED THE 2012 IPMC AND ITS AMENDMENTS AS ITS NEW PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE AND ADJUSTED POLICY TO BEGIN THE PROACTIVE RENTAL CERT PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR SINGLE FAMILIES AND TWO FAMILIES. IN 2012, 0% OF OUR SINGLE FAMILIES WERE CERTIFIED. 11% OF OUR TWO FAMILIES HAD CERTIFICATIONS, AND ONLY 64% OF OUR MULTI-FAMILIES WERE CERTIFIED. THIS SLIDE HERE IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE IN NOVEMBER OF 2013. I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THAT'S LESS THAN TWO YEARS AFTER OUR PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT STARTED AND WE INCREASED OUR SINGLE FAMILIES TO 2000 CERTIFIED, INCREASED OUR TWO FAMILIES BY 35%, AND INCREASED OUR MULTIFAMILIES BY 26%, FOR A TOTAL OF 6179 BUILDINGS CERTIFIED AT THAT TIME. JUMPING FORWARD TO TODAY, 14 YEARS OF PROACTIVE RENTAL INSPECTIONS, WE NOW HAVE 84% OF SINGLE FAMILY CERTIFIED, 91% OF TWO FAMILIES, AND 94% OF MULTIPLE MULTI-FAMILIES, FOR A TOTAL OF 14,148 BUILDINGS CERTIFIED. AT OUR INITIAL INCEPTION OF PROACTIVE CERTIFICATIONS, WE STARTED WITH 11% OF RENTAL PROPERTIES CERTIFIED. TODAY, WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE OVER 90% PROACTIVELY INSPECTING RENTAL HOUSING TO ENFORCE HOUSING CODE, HELPS OUR CITY KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, IMPROVE HOUSING QUALITY, AND PROTECT TENANT HEALTH AND WELL BEING. PROACTIVE RENTAL INSPECTIONS ALSO HELP PRESERVE THE EXISTING STOCK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY PREVENTING AFFORDABLE RENTAL BUILDINGS FROM DETERIORATING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY MAY NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW BUILDING. THAT MAKES MORE ECONOMIC SENSE. SINCE THOSE CHANGES IN 2012, WE HAVE INSPECTED AND CERTIFIED OVER 45,000 BUILDINGS AND OVER 113,000 DWELLING UNITS. DURING THAT SAME TIME FRAME, THE NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY RENTAL BUILDINGS INCREASED BY 183 BUILDINGS, FOR AN INCREASE OF 6500 RENTAL DWELLING UNITS. OUR PROGRAM IN 2000, THE CITY PUT INTO PLACE ITS FIRST BRIGHT BLIGHT PROGRAM FOR VACANT HOUSES. WHEN THE CODE WAS UPDATED IN 2012, WE UPDATED THE CRITERIA AS TO WHAT MAKES THE PROPERTY BLIGHT. WE THEN UPDATED OUR POLICIES TO PROACTIVELY INSPECT THE PROPERTIES TO CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE THE OWNERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO CREATE A WORK PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND UPDATE THE INSPECTOR MONTHLY ON THE PROGRESS THEY WERE MAKING TOWARDS COMPLIANCE. IF THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THIS, WE DO NOT CHARGE FOR THAT MONTHLY INSPECTION. THE OWNER FAILS TO. THEN THERE IS A MONTHLY FEE. THIS INCENTIVIZES THE OWNERS TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND BRING THE PROPERTY BACK INTO COMPLIANCE, AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE CHECKING THE HOUSE REGULARLY FOR ALL SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH VACANT HOUSES. IN 2023, WE MADE OUR LAST UPDATE ON CODES, AND WE EXPANDED THAT PROGRAM TO INCLUDE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. SO THIS GRAPH HERE SHOWS YOU REPRESENTATION OF WHERE WE STARTED WITH OUR BLIGHT HOUSES IN 2012, THE INCEPTION OF OUR NEW PROGRAM. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE NUMBERS WERE RISING FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT AFTER WE MADE THE CHANGES, GOT THINGS GOING

[00:20:05]

COUNTYWIDE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BROADENED TO THOSE YOU SEE LISTED TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, SENIOR SERVICES, HOME MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION OF ITEMS. RESTRICT EGRESS, WHICH CAN PREVENT SOMEONE FROM EXITING A HOME IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, AND DELAY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS FROM ENTERING THE HOME. ITEMS ADD TO THE FUEL LOAD AND INCREASE THE BURN RATE OF A FIRE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES BEING DAMAGED. INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN HOMES WITH EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION ARE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO SEEK ASSISTANCE OR ALLOW OTHERS INTO THE HOME.

OVER TIME, HOME MAINTENANCE ISSUES MAY COMPILE, RESULTING IN UNINHABITABLE PROPERTY DUE TO RESTRICTED EGRESS INFESTATIONS, LACK OF ESSENTIAL UTILITIES OR FUNCTIONING PLUMBING, FURNACE OR WATER HEATER. REFERRALS ARE RECEIVED FROM FIRST RESPONDERS, IN-HOME AGENCIES, CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND HOUSING PROVIDERS. CODE COMPLIANCE STAFF PERFORM IN-HOME ASSESSMENTS AND APPLY THE INSTITUTE FOR CHALLENGING DISORGANIZATION CLUTTER HOARDING SCALE IN COMBINATION WITH OUR CITY'S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE TO IDENTIFY HEALTH AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS. ORDERS PROVIDE THE MOTIVATION AND REQUIREMENT FOR CORRECTION.

OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON PROVIDES CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINS ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND SUPPORTING AGENCIES UNTIL THE VIOLATIONS ARE RESOLVED. WITHOUT INTERVENTION, CLIENTS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISPLACEMENT THROUGH EVICTION OR CONDEMNATION. TASK FORCE ASSISTANCE EFFORTS AND CASES RESOLVED INCREASE EACH YEAR. THIS PROGRESS SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A FULL TIME POSITION IN 2025 THAT WAS FILLED BY GRADUATING GRAND VALLEY MSW INTERN EMILY HILL. THE DEDICATED POSITION ALLOWS US TO STANDARDIZE ASSISTANCE EFFORTS BETWEEN THE LIAISON LEAD CODE, COMPLIANCE INSPECTORS AND SUPPORTING AGENCIES. THE POSITION HAS STRENGTHENED EXISTING TASK FORCE PARTNERSHIPS. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO CASES. THIS FIRST CASE INVOLVED A BLIGHTED AND CONDEMNED PROPERTY MONITORED THROUGH OUR MONTHLY BLIGHT PROGRAM. THE INSPECTOR AND POLICE LIAISON OFFICERS THE OWNS OCCUPYING THE CONDEMNED PROPERTY THAT HAD A LARGE HOLE IN THE ROOF OVER THE BATHROOM. NOW WORKING UTILITIES AND UNSANITARY CONDITIONS.

STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS LED TO ALCOHOL DEPENDANCE AND THE OWNER WAS EXPERIENCING A PERIOD OF SELF-NEGLECT. THE INSPECTOR AND OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND THROUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP, WERE ABLE TO RESTORE HIS CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND A POSSIBILITY OF A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE. THE REPAIRS YOU SEE COMPLETED WERE COORDINATED IN COLLABORATION WITH SENIOR NEIGHBORS AND URBAN RENOVATIONS. THE SECOND CASE WAS REFERRED BY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR A CHRONICALLY HOMELESS HOUSING PROVIDER. WE MET WITH THIS PROVIDER IN 2025 TO ADDRESS REOCCURRING ISSUES, AND PROVIDED SOME GUIDANCE FOR RESIDENT SERVICES STAFF TO CONNECT WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND CLARIFY WHEN TO ENGAGE CODE COMPLIANCE FOR SUPPORT. PRIOR TO PURSUING EVICTION, THIS CLIENT WAS AT RISK OF EVICTION DUE TO A SEVERE COCKROACH INFESTATION, ACCUMULATION OF TRASH, AND UNPAID RENT. MENTAL ILLNESS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THROUGH

[00:25:01]

KIM. THANKS, BERNARD. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR WORK IS HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE AND IN ADDITION TO OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF INTERNAL PARTNERS, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WE WORK WITH TO COORDINATE, COLLABORATE ON ADDRESSING ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALLY, AND TRYING TO HELP SORT OF PROBLEM SOLVE AND COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLIANCE. AND ONE THING I'D LIKE TO REALLY NOTE HERE IS THAT WE HAVE A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GRAND RAPIDS HOUSING COMMISSION, WHERE THEY HAVE RECENTLY AMENDED THEIR PLAN TO ALLOW THE RENOVATION OF FIVE HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR FOR TENANTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, THAT MUST VACATE A PROPERTY DUE TO COME TO NATION SO THAT WE THEY'RE NOT JUST COMPLETELY DISPLACED AND THEY'RE NOT HOMELESS AS A RESULT OF OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE. SO THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND VERY NEW. AND WE'RE JUST COORDINATING IT NOW. BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. AND THEN BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO MENTION A STAFF MEMBER, PHIL SCHAAFSMA, WHO IS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT HE HAS BEEN A KEY PLAYER IN THIS DEPARTMENT SINCE 2010 AND FROM THE BEGINNING, WHO HAS BEEN THERE TO HELP US LOOK AT ALL OF OUR PROCESSES. HE IS WONDERFUL WITH TECHNOLOGY AND IS REALLY BEEN A CRITICAL PLAYER IN ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE IS RECOGNIZED AS WELL SINCE HE'S NOT HERE TODAY. THANKS. I WILL SAY THIS IS ALL THIS IS ALL A GREAT REVIEW. COUPLE THINGS TO SAY. ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AGAIN, SHOWING MY AGE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE CITY COMMISSION WHEN THAT ECONOMIC DOWNTURN STARTED TO HAPPEN. BUT I ALSO THAT WAS THE POINT AT WHICH THERE WAS REAL, I THINK, MASSIVELY MORE TENSION BETWEEN CODE COMPLIANCE FOLKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ASKING TO, TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE WORK. AND I WILL SAY, AS SOMEBODY, I THINK I MAY HAVE BOUGHT MY FIRST RENTAL PROPERTY IN GRAND RAPIDS.

WELL, IF WE'RE NOT COUNTING THE ONE I LIVED IN DURING COLLEGE, THE FIRST ONE THAT I DIDN'T LIVE IN WAS LIKE IN 1995. AND SO I'VE GONE THROUGH YEARS AND YEARS OF THESE CERTIFICATIONS AND IT'S, IT'S SO MUCH MORE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY AND CUSTOMER ENGAGED THAN IT, THAN IT WAS HISTORICALLY. NOW. I MEAN, I CAN JUST DECADES THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE PROCESS. IT'S, IT'S SO CLEAR NOW WHEN INSPECTORS COME OUT. I LOVE THE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE VERBAL GOING OVER OF THE 2 OR 3 THINGS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET WRITTEN STUFF THAT DIDN'T USED TO HAPPEN. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMING OUT AND HELPING PEOPLE GET THEIR PLACE IN COMPLIANCE AND COMING IN AND SAYING, HA HA. GOTCHA. AND SO I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR MAKING THE TRANSITION TOWARDS TRYING TO GET PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE THE FOCUS IS NOT ON CATCHING PEOPLE. IT'S ON MAKING SURE THE PLACES ARE, ARE IN SHAPE AND UP TO CODE. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SEE THOSE STRIDES AND IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES HERE. NOW, THE ONE THING I WILL. THE SECOND THING I'LL SAY THOUGH, IS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THE CITY MANAGER AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE BROADER COMMISSION LEVEL. AND THAT IS THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THERE CAN POTENTIALLY BE CONFLICTS. AND SO I HAD TO HELP OUT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO REALLY GOT HIS BACK UP WITH A COMPLIANCE OFFICER, AND THINGS WERE NOT

[00:30:05]

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING INTO VERY PERSONAL SPACE AND MAYBE AND IF AND IF WE'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOOD OR NEIGHBOR DRIVEN COMPLAINTS, POTENTIALLY GOT A NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICT THERE.

AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING A NEW MEDIATOR ON BOARD IN THE CITY TO BECAUSE I AND I ANTICIPATE AND I THINK THE CITY MANAGER ANTICIPATES, TOO, THAT A MEDIATOR CAN HELP IN SOME OF THESE TRICKIER SITUATIONS BECAUSE YOUR COMPLIANCE OFFICERS AREN'T TRAINED MEDIATORS. THAT'S NOT THEIR, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE CORE OF THEIR JOB. AND SO EXTRA RESOURCES TO HELP DEFUZE SOME OF THOSE CONFLICT POINTS, I THINK IS, IS A PLACE I'M EXCITED TO SEE US GO ON CODE COMPLIANCE GENERALLY. SO COMMISSIONER KILGORE OH, COMMISSIONER. SAUCY. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT SCOTT BAKER TALKS TO A LOT IS PROBABLY ME.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE FORGET, YOU KNOW, AND LOVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND ALSO WE INTERACT PROBABLY MORE SO WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THIS CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT. FROM QUESTIONS THAT WE GET, I CERTAINLY I WAS KIND OF JUST GOING THROUGH MY EMAIL BEFORE THIS MEETING. AND, AND I THINK THIS YEAR THERE'S BEEN SOME REALLY INTERESTING CASES, TOO, THAT THE DEPARTMENT AND SCOTT IN PARTICULAR HAS HELPED WITH.

AND THEY'RE. IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING, RIGHT? IT'S SOME OF THE, THE PIECES THAT WERE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND SORT OF THE CHARACTER AND IDENTITY THAT THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, TO, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR, OFFER THAT APPRECIATION FOR THAT REALLY DETAILED WORK. SO IT'S LIKE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF HUMAN INTERACTION. IT'S LIKE THIS COMPLIANCE AND LEGAL PIECE. IT'S, YOU'RE INTERACTING WITH YOUR OTHER PEERS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AND SO I KNOW I NEVER WANT TO SAY THE WRONG THING AS IT RELATES TO THIS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I DON'T, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WOULD TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, THE COMMISSIONER SAID THIS AND IT'S LIKE, NOPE, I'M GOING TO HEAR IT RIGHT FROM THE DEPARTMENT. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I, TOO, HAVE HAD SOME FRIENDS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS THIS PAST YEAR HAS SAID IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, VERY USER FRIENDLY. THEY'RE LIKE FIRST TIME DEVELOPERS. AND SO AGAIN, APPRECIATION FOR THAT. I WAS TRYING TO GO BACK. I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE AS LONG AS YOU MISS BOHAC, BUT I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT YEAR AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT MAYBE YOU AND CITY MANAGER CAN REMEMBER. DID WE RECEIVE SOME DOLLARS TO SUPPORT, LIKE THIS BLIGHT MONITORING PROGRAM, OR WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE DID? I'M KIND OF REMEMBERING THIS FROM A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MEETING. WE RECEIVED SOME SOME FUNDING FROM THE STATE. OKAY. IT WAS A VERY CHALLENGING GRANT. OKAY, TO IMPLEMENT. OKAY. THERE WERE RULES IN PLACE THAT REALLY DIDN'T WORK FOR MANY OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY. OKAY. AND SO WE USED A PORTION OF THE MONEY BUT DID NOT USE ALL OF IT. OKAY. BUT WE KNEW THAT GOING INTO IT, WE WORKED REALLY HARD WITH THE STATE, TRYING TO GET THEM TO CHANGE SOME OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LEGISLATIVELY DICTATED AND THAT WE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THAT. OKAY, OKAY. BUT WE WE WORKED EVERY ANGLE OF EVERY PROPERTY THAT WE THOUGHT COULD BENEFIT FROM. OKAY. I, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE MAYOR BECAUSE HE PROBABLY WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE AT THAT TIME STILL TOO. I JUST, I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T QUITE REMEMBER. AND SO, BUT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LIKE AT DIFFERENT POINTS, YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO PULL DOLLARS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND HOW TO ADVANCE THIS.

SO. YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE DON'T REALLY ALWAYS RESPOND TO MAIL.

I GO THROUGH MY MAIL EVERY DAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET LIKE A TICKET OR SOMETHING. BUT WHAT IS THAT? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT. AND IT MAYBE IT COULD BE AFTER THIS MEETING TOO, BUT JUST TO KIND OF SHOW WHAT IS THE RESPONSE RATE? YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET SORT OF IN LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THIS AT THE AT THE VACANT PROPERTY BLIGHT MONITORING, YOU KNOW, THEY GET THESE INSPECTIONS EVERY 30 DAYS. AND, AND IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND HOW MANY ARE LIKE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THAT COMMUNICATION, MAYBE HOW MANY AREN'T SO MUCH, IF WE COULD JUST KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY. SO THANKS. YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND THANKS TO THE, THE CODE COMPLIANCE TEAM. JUST AN EXAMPLE. THIS WAS DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR IN 2025. IT WAS A REALLY CHALLENGING COMMUNICATIONS FROM A CONSTITUENT WHO HAD RECENTLY LOST HER MOTHER AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE RIGHTS TO HER MOTHER'S HOME. THERE WAS A CHALLENGE OF COMMUNICATION AND PROCESS, AND SOMEHOW HER HOME WASN'T UNDER THE CORRECT DESIGNATION. IT WAS RENT. THEY

[00:35:07]

AND I ALSO SAT ON THE HOUSING APPEALS BOARD BEFORE I WAS ELECTED. I THINK THAT WAS AN AWESOME LESSON FOR ME AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IN GRACE, AND I'M HOPING THAT THROUGH OUR INSPECTIONS AND AS WE TALK MORE ABOUT INSPECTORS, WE CAN ALSO LIFT UP GRACE IN THIS MOMENT.

AS WE KNOW, WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY IN THE 2008 RECESSION AND THOSE CHALLENGES DURING THAT TIME WHERE FOLKS ARE GETTING LAID OFF, BUT FOLKS ARE GETTING LAID OFF RIGHT NOW.

FOLKS ARE HAVING SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH KEEPING EMPLOYMENT AND GETTING JOBS.

AND SO WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE TO THINK OF HOW OUR FINES LOOK, HOW OUR INSPECTIONS LOOK, AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO GIVE GRACE. AND I THINK I MAY HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONER SASSY'S APPOINTMENT ON HOUSING APPEALS, I DON'T REMEMBER MAYBE. YEAH, THANKS, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. THANKS, COLLEAGUES. WELL, THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT UP, I BELIEVE

[3. Briefing Regarding the City‘s Civilian Violence Prevention & Intervention Initiatives]

AND WHEN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IS HARMED, THE EFFECTS REACH US ALL, MAKING SAFETY AND HEALING A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY BY WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT HARM AND INVEST IN PEOPLE, WE HELP BUILD COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE CAN NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT TRULY SURVIVE AND THRIVE.

GOOD AFTERNOON, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS LETICIA LIPSCOMB, AND I HAVE THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS CIVILIAN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION MANAGER FOR THE PAST YEAR. TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME IN REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR AS I BRIEFED THIS COMMITTEE ON THE WORK THAT MANY HANDS HAVE HELPED ADVANCE. AND SPEAKING OF MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK COMMISSIONER YSASI FOR HER FEARLESS LEADERSHIP ON THE SAFE TASK FORCE, AS WELL AS RECOGNIZING SHANNON HARRIS, WHO IS ALSO HERE TODAY AND SERVES ON THAT TASK FORCE AS WELL. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CURE VIOLENCE PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE AFRICAN RESOURCE CENTER, WHO IS ONE OF OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS HERE. MR. BERNARD IS HERE, AND I ALSO WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SHOUT OUT AND THANK OFFICERS HOWARD AND OFFICER DALEY, WHO MET WITH ME AND HAD SOME COMMUNITY COFFEE CHATS, AS WELL AS CHIEF TRIGG, WHO WAS THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO TAKE OUR VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGY VOTING TALLY SHEET. SO A LEADER IS ONLY AS STRONG AS THE FOUNDATION THAT THEY STAND ON. AND SO I'M REALLY PLEASED TO REPRESENT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE AS A COLLECTIVE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. SO TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT VIOLENCE REDUCTION AS A STRATEGY. I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON SEVERAL KEY AREAS FROM THAT STRATEGY TO OUR SUMMER PREVENTION EFFORTS TO CURE VIOLENCE, COMMUNITY IMPACT. AND THEN I'M GOING TO END WITH THE YEAR AHEAD. AND WHILE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO SHARE, MY GOAL IS TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION EFFICIENTLY AND LEAVE TIME AT THE END FOR QUESTIONS. SO LET'S BEGIN TO, WITH A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CVP I CIVILIAN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION. IT'S A LONG NAME I KNOW, AND I WILL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN COMMUNITY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE ESSENTIALS. SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO CVP, THIS INITIATIVE IS HOUSED WITHIN THE OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IT MARKS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT THE CITY HAS CREATED A FULL TIME POSITION FOCUSED SOLELY ON PREVENTING AND REDUCING VIOLENCE. OUR OFFICE SERVES AS

[00:40:06]

DISTRIBUTION OF SAFE SUMMER COMMUNITY KITS, ONGOING TABLING EFFORTS, AND SO, SO MUCH MORE.

OUR OVERSIGHT OF THE CURE VIOLENCE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GRAND RAPIDS URBAN LEAGUE CONTINUES TO ADVANCE PROVEN INTERVENTION. A FULL ANNUAL REPORT WILL COME LATER THIS FALL, BUT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE 45 PLUS INITIATIVES PILOTED IN PRIORITY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, 4311 ENGAGEMENTS LEADING TO VIOLENCE, INTERRUPTIONS AND DISRUPTIONS, PROGRAM EXPANSION WITH NEW PART TIME STAFF SUPPORTING HARD SIDES, PLACE BASED OUTREACH, ONGOING CITY VIBES PROGRAMING, AVERAGING 85 YOUTH ON WEEKEND NIGHTS AND CONNECTING 50 PLUS FAMILIES TO RESOURCES FOR FOOD, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING. NOW, SURELY THE NEWS CANNOT COVER ALL OF THESE VIOLENCE INTERRUPTIONS AND DISRUPTIONS, BUT THIS IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF THE CURE VIOLENCE PROGRAM AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT DON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN THE STREETS OF GRAND RAPIDS. CURE VIOLENCE REMAINS A HOLISTIC MODEL FOCUSED ON PROXIMITY,

[00:45:04]

[00:50:04]

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN AND TALK WITH LEADERSHIP IN CHICAGO, HOPING TO CONTINUE TO REINFORCE AND GROW THAT WORK. I MEAN, I PERSONALLY WILL JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUILDING A COMMUNITY WHERE VIOLENCE DOESN'T START IS A WHOLE LOT MORE EFFECTIVE AND A WHOLE LOT BETTER FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAN, THAN TRYING TO DEAL WITH IT AFTER IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED. AND SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN EVER WORK TOO MUCH AT TRYING TO BUILD AN ACTUAL PEACEFUL, PEACEFUL COMMUNITY. AND, AND THAT TAKES ALL OF US.

WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALL PART OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORK. AND I WILL SAY ON A FINAL NOTE, I WAS LOOKING BACK LAST WEEK, I WAS AT A POW MIA EVENT AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME OF THE VIETNAM WAR, THERE WAS A REAL MOVEMENT IN OUR COUNTRY OF PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT DEEPLY AND ARTICULATED URGENTLY THE NEED FOR PEACE AND THE NEED TO BUILD FOR PEACE AND THE NEED TO, TO, TO DO THE WORK OF BUILDING A PEACEFUL COMMUNITY. AND I SAY ALL THE TIME THAT FEAR AND HATE AND VIOLENCE ARE FAST, AND THEY CAN BE DEVASTATINGLY EFFECTIVE AT ACCOMPLISHING THEIR OBJECTIVES. BUT THAT PEACE IS SLOW AND WORK IS SLOW AND BUILDING IS SLOW. YOU CAN TEAR THINGS DOWN A WHOLE LOT FASTER THAN YOU CAN BUILD THEM UP. SO THANK YOU FOR THE LONG, PERSISTENT WORK IN TRYING TO BEND OUR COMMUNITY TOWARDS TOWARDS ONE OF EMPATHY AND MUTUAL SUPPORT AND PEACE. BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE ULTIMATE GOAL, RIGHT? A COMMUNITY WHERE WE ALL REALLY CAN LIVE IN PEACE. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SPEAKING OF PEACE,

[4. Presentations from the Grand Rapids Police Department on Monthly Crime Stats and the Community Police Officer Program]

SO GO AHEAD. THIS THIS PROGRAM IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME BECAUSE I WAS A COMMUNITY OFFICER BETWEEN 2010 AND 2013. IT WAS THE FIRST POSITION THAT I APPLIED FOR SPECIALTY UNIT THAT I APPLIED FOR. ONLY REASON I LEFT THE UNIT WAS BECAUSE I WAS PROMOTED TO A SERGEANT. SO FOND TIMES AS I TALK SOMETIMES ABOUT PROVIDING A SERVICE TO THIS CITY, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE SHORT STAFFED, IT'S A FAST FOOD TYPE SERVICE BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A LOT OF CALLS AND MINIMAL STAFF. WELL, THE CPO IS ABLE TO WINE AND DINE, RIGHT? IT'S THEY'RE ABLE TO DIVE INTO PROBLEMS, MAKE THE CONNECTION WITH BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS, AND, AND REALLY BUILD THAT CONNECTION. WE LOOK, WE START ON THE, THE, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, OUR PRIORITY SAFETY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE NUMBER ONE IN INNOVATION WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS KEEP OUR CITY SAFE.

BUT THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THEIR NEIGHBOR, LET ALONE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR POLICE OFFICER. SO THIS UNIT IS SO IMPORTANT. NOT ONLY WAS I A CPO BACK IN THE DAY, LIEUTENANT LIEUTENANT DALEY WAS SERGEANT HOWARD WAS. SO THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK IN DEPTH TO HOW THE PROGRAM HAS HAS CHANGED. THEY'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN HOW WE HAD TO DISSOLVE THE UNIT DUE TO THE THE STAFFING ISSUES. WE HAD IT. WE. WE WEREN'T UP TO PROTECT OUR CITY. WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE BODIES OUT THERE TO ANSWER CALLS FIRST. YOU KNOW, BEING A CPO IS SOMEWHAT A PRIVILEGE AND IT'S A IT'S AN ADDED SERVICE. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING

[00:55:02]

UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO A CONTINUED STAFFING DOWNTURN, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, OUR COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER PROGRAM WAS DISBANDED IN 2021. THE COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER PROGRAM WAS NOT ALONE IN THIS. ALL SPECIALIZED UNITS WITHIN THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCED A STAFFING DOWNTURN. AS WE EXPERIENCED THIS CRISIS. MOVING FORWARD, THE COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER PROGRAM RETURNED IN 2025 TO IMPROVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S COLLABORATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, STARTING WITH AS CHIEF, TRIGG SAID, JUST FIVE POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE SUPERVISOR WHO WAS SERGEANT HOWARD. WE'RE FORTUNATE TO FALL UNDER SOME STRONG LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE A GREAT MORALE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. OUR STAFFING NUMBERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE, SO WE JUST THIS MONTH ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS TO BRING THAT MODEL UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE. IT'S NOT THE 18 THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD, BUT YOU'LL SEE HERE THIS ROLLOUT IS DIFFERENT AND WE'RE WE'RE TRULY STRIVING TO DO MORE WITH LESS. ONE THING THAT CHIEF CHIG CHIEF TRIGG DID THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN OUR PREVIOUS MODEL IS THAT HE ASSIGNED THESE COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT.

THEY STILL REPORT TO THEIR SERVICE AREA CAPTAINS, BUT DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS ARE GUIDED BY SERGEANT HOWARD. AND DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE, IT'S MUCH MORE OF A TEAM APPROACH AS THEY CRISSCROSS THE DIFFERENT WARDS IN THE CITY AND THE DIFFERENT SERVICE AREAS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SERGEANT HOWARD HAS TRULY DRIVEN HOME IS THAT LEANING ON OTHER CITY INFRASTRUCTURE TO REALLY ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION OF THAT, THAT TEAM, SHORTLY AFTER THESE THESE FIVE WERE ORIGINALLY BROUGHT ON, THEY WERE TASKED WITH CREATING THEIR OWN MISSION STATEMENT. THIS WAS TO CREATE BUY IN TO THE PROGRAM, HELP GUIDE THEM MOVING FORWARD. AND THAT MISSION STATEMENT IS PROACTIVELY CREATING LASTING SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY ISSUES IN SUPPORT OF PATROL OPERATIONS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING AND PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY.

[01:00:03]

THE AREAS OF FOCUS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED ARE CODE ENFORCEMENT. THEY SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN OUR CITY PARKS, SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION VIOLATIONS AND CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, WHICH IS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SEPTIC. THE CPO COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER PRIORITIES ARE TO SUPPORT PATROL, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, QUALITY OF LIFE CONCERNS THAT ARE INTEL AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION DRIVEN. SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THE.

THE COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS HAVE SPEARHEADED ARE LISTED HERE ON THIS SLIDE. A FEW NOTEWORTHY ONES ARE THERE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT STREET TAKEOVERS, AND THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES TO ACTIVELY PREVENT THESE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S SAFE TO SAY, WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS, IT'S WILDLY SUCCESSFUL. ABANDONED VEHICLES, FRONT YARD PARKING. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE CITY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON. THAT IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE CONCERNS THAT WE HEAR BACK FROM THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. DRUG ABATEMENT. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DRIVEN HOME WITH A BUNCH OF AN INITIATIVE AT HEARTSIDE PARK AND RECOGNIZING THAT'S NOT STRICTLY JUST A LAW ENFORCEMENT POPULATION, BUT THAT'S A VERY VULNERABLE POPULATION THAT OCCUPIES THAT PARK AND RELYING ON ALL SORTS OF OTHER CITY ENTITIES TO HELP FURTHER THE SUCCESS OF THAT PARK. CLERGY ON PATROL IS STILL RAN OUT OF THIS UNIT OR WAS ADOPTED BY THIS UNIT. THEY'VE PARTNERED WITH AREA CHURCHES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND JUST NEXT WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING A CHURCH SAFETY SEMINAR. ALL CHURCHES THROUGHOUT THE CITY ARE INVITED.

WE'VE EXPANDED OUR CLEAR PROGRAM, WHICH FALLS UNDER OUR CPO SIDE OF THE HOUSE. JUST LAST YEAR, WE HAD OTHER CLEAR PROGRAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY COME IN TO TO OBSERVE HOW OURS IS RAN SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE THOSE IDEAS BACK TO THEIR OWN CITIES. WE'VE SINCE ADOPTED ANOTHER MALE CLEAR PROGRAM, AND OUR LONGEST SERVING PROGRAM IS THE FEMALE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WHICH OFFICER CAITLIN BERNARD RUNS, AND SHE HAS RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUTSIDE RECOGNITION FOR THAT PROGRAM. WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD BRIDGES WITH ALL SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY, WHETHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT NOW AS WE'RE APPROACHING THE DEADLINE FOR THE B TEN LAW THAT GOES INTO EFFECT STATEWIDE. WE MAINTAIN ALL OF THE BUSINESS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACTS THAT WE HAD UNDER THE OLD PROGRAM. AND MAINTAIN THAT A NEW INITIATIVE THAT THEY'VE ADOPTED AND HEARING FEEDBACK FROM BUSINESSES IS RETAIL FRAUD ENFORCEMENT. SO THERE'S SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND DEEPER INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE ABLE TO TAKE PLACE TO HELP STOP THESE HIGH DOLLAR RETAIL FRAUD THEFTS. ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF THE CPOS IS TO DECREASE HIGH UTILIZERS OF POLICE SERVICES. AND THIS IS WHERE THEY REALLY SHINE AND THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY ADDRESSES OR BUSINESSES OR PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE FREQUENT CALLERS, AND THEY CAN REALLY FOCUS ON LONG TERM SOLUTIONS VERSUS THE THE QUICK CALL FOR SERVICE. AND THEN IT'S PASSED ON TO THE NEXT NIGHT. THEY TRULY WORK TO IDENTIFY THOSE, TO FIND LONG LASTING SOLUTIONS, WHICH IN TURN WILL DECREASE OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE.

HOUSING AND BUSINESS CODE ENFORCEMENT BY ADOPTING THE PROGRAM INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT. THAT IS WHERE CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS HOUSED. SO SEEING THAT PARTNERSHIP DEVELOP AND GROW LONG LASTING SOLUTIONS THERE ARE ALSO PREVALENT. AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS ARE EXTREMELY ADAPTABLE. SO WE TOOK SOME MEMBERS OF THIS CURRENT TEAM.

THEY'VE, FOR EXAMPLE, ADOPTED DIFFERENT HOURS TO HELP WITH THE PRESENCE DURING ARTPRIZE, SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND FOR THE DURATION OF ARTPRIZE, THEY'RE

[01:05:03]

I THINK THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY THIS CPO PROGRAM IS JUST AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MAKING SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS ARE SUPPORTED IN VARIOUS WAYS, AS WELL AS MANY OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

MORE GENERALLY SPEAKING, I'M CURIOUS, AS THIS CPO PROGRAM EXPANDS AND WE HOPE TO BRING ON MORE OFFICERS, HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS OF THE SERVICE AREAS FOR THOSE CPOS TO EVOLVE? BECAUSE AS I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT, IN TERMS OF BUILDING DEEPER COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, IF YOU CAN HAVE MAYBE ONE OFFICER IS DEVOTED TO A SMALLER AREA INSTEAD OF TWO OFFICERS DEVOTED TO A AREA TWICE THE SIZE, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DEVELOP MORE DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN A SPECIFIC AREA. YES, THE ULTIMATE GOAL, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST ADDED THREE NEW CPOS THIS MONTH HERE. AS LONG AS OUR HIRING TRENDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE, THE PLAN IS TO ADD TWO MORE SPRING OF 2027 THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GIVE TWO COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS TO THE FIVE SERVICE AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD REPRESENTATION, I THINK, AND ADEQUATE ENOUGH FOR THOSE DOWN THE ROAD. AS THAT CONTINUES TO INCREASE, I CAN EXPECT ANOTHER FIVE TO COME OUR WAY SO THAT THERE'S THREE PER SERVICE AREA AND CONTINUE TO GROW THAT BACK UP. AND MAYBE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL BE ABOVE THAT 18 NUMBER THAT WE HAD BEFORE. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FOR THE SAKE OF MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THOSE OUT IN THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT RECALL 2021. AS LIEUTENANT DALEY MENTIONED, I DO RECALL THAT OPERATIONAL CHANGE, AND THAT CREATED A LOT OF DISSATISFACTION, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WHEN THEY COULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS. AND WE ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THAT.

AND DC, EXCUSE ME, CHIEF CRAIG AND DC MANCROFT WILL REMEMBER THAT. I THINK OUR PIVOT WAS TO MAKE THE CAP OR TO MAKE THE CAPTAINS KIND OF QUASI COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS, AND THAT DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE YOU HAD A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND YOU COULDN'T BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS BASED ON BEING ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE ELSE. AND SO I HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF IT. AND I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, POINT OUT, I REMEMBER GETTING SIGNIFICANT CALLS OF CONCERNS AND DISSATISFACTION. THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, PARTICULARLY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, COULD NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF PERSONALIZED ACCESS TO COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS. AND THEN IT WAS AT A TIME WHERE POLICING WAS BEING QUESTIONED AND WAS BEING CHALLENGED TO BECOME MORE RELATIONAL, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECT WITH OFFICERS OUTSIDE OF A CALL FOR SERVICE AND JUST ENGAGE. SO I WANT TO COMMEND THE CHIEF FOR REALLY RESTORING THIS PROGRAM. AND YEAH, AND IF I CAN LAYER ON TOP OF THAT A SECOND, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT OCCUR TO ME. ONE IS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPLICIT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT MAYBE NOT EXPLICIT. AND THAT IS I THINK THERE'S A GROWING SENSE THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN POLICING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK IF IF OUR I THINK THE COMMUNITY OFFICERS ARE, ARE POTENTIALLY A GREAT BRIDGE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN CRUISERS AND THE

[01:10:02]

SO YEP, YEP, YEP. WE GOT. SO COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK LOTS OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND OFFICER ANDREW SMITH ON THE NORTH END HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY ENGAGED WITH A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS HAS HELPED ME AND EVEN SOME, YOU KNOW, LANDLORD TENANT ISSUES JUST TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MEDIATION, BUT TO TRY TO DO SOME OF THAT MEDIATION. AND SO THAT PROBABLY FALLS IN SOME OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HOW USERS OR NOT. I REMEMBER I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THIS WAS, BUT WHETHER YOU DID, THERE USED TO BE LIKE LITTLE TRAILERS. WAS THERE LIKE LITTLE TRAILERS AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE CITY? YES. WHERE WE HAD. SO DIG UP ONE OF THOSE PICTURES BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME. AND I'M LIKE, NO, THERE USED TO BE ONE OVER BY, WELL, OLD HOUSE SOUTH HIGH. AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBERED ON THE BEING FROM THE SOUTHEAST SIDE. BUT THE THING THAT I, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS WHAT THE MAYOR SAID IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE SOMETIMES WE HAVE WHAT WE DO. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT HOW ARE WE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT SORT OF WHAT ARE THE RESPONSES AND THINGS? YOU KNOW, SOME OF US, WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF GOING TO THE ANNUAL BANQUET AND HEARING SO MANY STORIES THAT WE MIGHT HEAR A SNIPPET ABOUT, BUT THEN GET TO DELVE INTO IT A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT MORE. THE OTHER DAY I WROTE CITY MANAGER AND I WAS LIKE, WHY IS OVER BY PEARL AND MONROE ALL BLOCKED OFF? AND HE GETS ON THE HORN AND IS LIKE, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO IS TRYING TO DIE BY SUICIDE, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, ENGAGEMENT PIECES THAT WE JUST MIGHT NOT KNOW. I ALSO THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO SAY, HOW DO ALL OF US AND MAYBE THAT NEXT ITERATION CAN BE WHAT DO THAT NOT ONLY WHAT DO OUR POLICE OR COMMUNITY OFFICERS DO FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS? AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED HERE, BUT ALSO WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN DO TO SUPPORT THIS WORK TOO. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THAT IS HOPEFULLY AN EVOLVING CONVERSATION. SOME OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAD TODAY WAS AROUND TECHNOLOGY AND THE USE OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A NEW 311 SYSTEM. AND SO ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THOSE AS COMMUNICATION POINTS SO THAT IT IS NOT THIS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THE MOMENT WHEN I NEED IT, BUT WHAT ARE THE PROACTIVE THINGS? HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CLEAR THE, THE CACHE, IF YOU WILL, OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS AN INTERESTING FRAME THAT YOU THAT YOU BROUGHT UP MAYOR AND WAS JUST TALKING WITH A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOLKS ABOUT. IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE, BUT WHAT CAN YOU ALSO BE ENGAGED WITH? THEN WE CAN FIND THIS, YOU KNOW, BEST PLACE THAT WE ALL WANT TO BE. THANK YOU. OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER, WE'VE GOT A SECOND PRESENTATION FROM THE CHIEF AND WE'VE GOT 14 MINUTES, I THINK, BEFORE WE HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO I THINK HE CAN WRAP IT UP THEN. OH, YEAH. SO. I JUST WANT HIM TO ADD A LITTLE COMMENT ON SOME COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. YES. WE ALSO COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS, THEY'RE THE ONES OUT THERE THAT WE WIDELY SEE ON BICYCLES AND, AND WHATNOT. AND JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE, A GOOD AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK CAME ACROSS MY DESK DURING A NIGHTTIME INITIATIVE JUST LAST WEEK WHERE A GROUP OF THEM WENT OUT AND THEY COVERED ALL THREE WARDS IN THE CITY ON AN INCREDIBLY LONG BIKE RIDE AND REALLY BALANCED THAT ASSIGNMENT WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF OUTREACH AND CONNECTING WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT AND ABOUT. BUT AS THEY STUMBLED ACROSS ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, THEY DID THAT TOO. BUT FROM THE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN LOOKING AT THEIR ACTIVITY AT THAT NIGHT,

[01:15:03]

HERE'S A VOICEMAIL THAT I THAT I'M GOING TO READ. LET'S SEE HOW MANY IS ON THERE. YEAH.

[01:20:05]

I GOT THE CALL, BUT OUR OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A A FATAL ACCIDENT ON CENTURY AVENUE AT MCKENDRICK ON THE IN THE EAST SERVICE AREA NEAR BURTON AND 131. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, WE REVISED THAT. WHEN WE RESPONDED. WE ARRIVED ON SCENE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ON SCENE. THERE'S A VEHICLE THAT HIT A TREE AND IT WAS ON FIRE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SUBJECT HAD SUCCUMBED TO HIS HIS INJURIES AND DUE TO THE NATURE OF THAT TYPE, IT'S A PIE. IT'S A FATAL.

IT'S NORMAL PRACTICE THAT OUR TRAFFIC INVESTORS, INVESTIGATORS COME OUT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S VERY SERIOUS AND WHATNOT. SO THEY CAME OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT. WE LEARNED THAT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS HAD ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TRAFFIC STOP OF THAT VEHICLE NEAR HALL AND CENTURY, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE FLED FROM THAT ATTEMPTED STOP. IT PROCEEDED DOWN THE CENTURY SOUTHBOUND AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS, AND THEN WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A TREE AND THEN AND THEN PASSED, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN OUR TRAFFIC INVESTIGATORS. THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO, BUT DUE TO THE NATURE OF IT AND THE FACT THAT THIS ONE HAS INVOLVES, YOU KNOW, THE ICE AGENTS IN THEIR ABILITY OR LACK THEREOF, OUR TRAFFIC OR LACK THEREOF, TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET ALL THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE, THE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE REQUESTED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE. I JUST THINK THAT'S WILL HELP SHORE UP A NICE, THOROUGH INVESTIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS MISSED AND THEY'RE MORE EQUIPPED TO GET INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT PRECEDED AND LED TO THAT, THAT EVENT THAT LED TO THAT THOSE SPEEDS GOING DOWN THE ROADWAY. SO JUST WANTED TO GET YOU GUYS UP TO SPEED ON THAT. AS WE AS THESE DETAILS UNFOLD, OBVIOUSLY I'M LIMITED TO WHAT I CAN SHARE BECAUSE IT IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION, BUT IT DOES INVOLVE, OBVIOUSLY, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM THE THE CRASH PART. AND THAT'S WHEN WE WERE FIRST RESPONDED ON SCENE. SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT I CAN ANSWER? WELL, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE STATE POLICE INVOLVED THERE. I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE TO THINGS THAT AREAS WHERE WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET A FULL, FULL PICTURE OF, OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IT'S I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE GOT STATE POLICE INVOLVED, BUT JUST JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GRPD ONLY RESPONDED TO ABSOLUTELY. AFTER THE AFTER THE EVENT AND WASN'T INVOLVED IN THIS STOP IN ANY WAY. ABSOLUTELY. IT WAS A 911 CALL TO OUR DISPATCHER REGARDING A CAR VERSUS TREE. AND THE CAR IS ON FIRE. OKAY, SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KILGORE. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND YEAH, I AM JUST IT IS SO DISHEARTENING TO CONTINUE TO HEAR OF THE ABSOLUTE FEAR. I THINK IF SOMEONE WAS DRIVING THAT RECKLESS AND HAD THAT EXTENT OF A CRASH, I THINK THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF FEAR INVOLVED IN THAT. AND SO I CERTAINLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND. THIS IS JUST A COMMENT REALLY. I CERTAINLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS FEDERAL AGENCY IS DOING, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT MAKING OUR

[01:25:02]

WE HAD TO GET OUT OR HE WAS GOING TO GET A DIVORCE. HIS WIFE WANTED HIM BACK HOME, BUT CHIEF TRIGG AND MYSELF STAYED UNTIL EVERYONE LEFT. I MEAN, SO THIS WAS MULTIPLE HOURS AND EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, EVERY SINGLE CONCERN WAS ADDRESSED. AND I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS SIMILAR TO THE VOICEMAIL THAT FOLKS DON'T SEE, AND THAT IS MEANINGFUL. JUST AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CHIEF ALSO SAID IN AN LGBTQ PLUS TRAINING, I THINK THESE ARE THINGS THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THE POSITIVE THAT WE NEED TO PUT OUT THERE. SO THANKS AGAIN. YEAH, NO, THANKS FOR HAVING ME INVOLVED AND TOUGH CONVERSATION. BUT THOSE ARE USUALLY THE BEST KIND BECAUSE THINGS GET THINGS GET WORKED THROUGH. AND I KNOW, AS YOU SAID, PASTOR BISHOP KICKED US OUT OF HIS CHURCH BECAUSE HAD A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WANTING TO FOLLOW UP WITH US.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. AND IT WAS IT WAS GOOD, GOOD EVENT. OKAY. THANKS, EVERYBODY. AND IT'S WE BROUGHT IT IN UNDER 2:00, COMMISSIONER. YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING? GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. LETTING THE AGE GO BEFORE BEAUTY AGAIN. SO. THE YOUNG AGE. YES. THE YOUNG AGE WE WE WERE JOKING ABOUT IT EARLIER TODAY. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THIS THIS FINAL TOPIC AS IT RELATES TO THIS INCIDENT. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THE WORDS THAT YOU SHARED. I THINK JUST AS WE SPENT THE LAST HOUR TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT CATCHES ON OR WHAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE FOLKS THAT WERE WRITING LIKE WE'RE HEARING SOME RUMORS. IT'S LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN IN RUMORS. BUT WE KNOW THIS IS A REALLY CONNECTED AND SMALL COMMUNITY. I WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DECISION TO GO TO THE MICHIGAN MICHIGAN STATE POLICE IS REALLY SOLID. I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE SAID, WE HAD NOTHING. WE WERE NOT ENGAGED IN THIS PURSUIT, BUT TO GIVE THAT FULL THROATED SUPPORT, WE WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN TO BEING INVESTIGATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THIS IS A REALLY CLEAR AND I WANT TO SAY THAT CONTINUED EFFORT. WE HAD A PROCLAMATION PROCLAMATION DAY FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, AND CERTAINLY LATINOS, HISPANIC INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT THE ONLY IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT THEY MAKE UP A VERY LARGE MAJORITY AND SEEM TO BE WHERE THE TARGETING IS IN THIS COMMUNITY. IF WE KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT WHERE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS, THAT IS IN THE HEART OF, YOU KNOW, GRANDVILLE AVENUE. AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, LATINO COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO RE REASSERT EVERYTHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE. CITY MANAGER, THAT YOU HAVE LED, MAYOR, THAT YOU'VE CONTINUED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE NOT ENGAGING IN WORKING WITH THIS FEDERAL AGENCY, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD THINGS LAST YEAR AS IT RELATED TO FLOCK, WE WENT BEYOND WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT UNDER THE SURVEILLANCE POLICY, BUT WE DID THAT INVESTIGATION.

WE'VE NOW ADDED TECHNOLOGY INTO THE SURVEILLANCE POLICY. AND TO TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT. AND WE WON'T WE WON'T, DON'T, WON'T KNOW THE DETAILS FOR SOME TIME, BUT THAT, THAT THAT FLICKER OF LIGHTS OR WHATEVER THAT IS, IT'S SO SERIOUS AND THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN IN OUR CONTROL OF WHAT WE CONTROL AND WHAT WE HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS FEDERAL AGENCY THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY RUNNING ROGUE. AND WE HAVE YOU HEARD FROM ALL OF THE TRAINING EM CALLS, CARLA, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU GO AND BE UNDER AND A PART OF AND THAT WE HOLD OUR OFFICERS TO. AND WE DO NOT SEEM TO BE DOING THAT WITH THIS FEDERAL AGENCY, WITH MORE MONEY, MORE RESOURCES, AND NOT VERY TRAINED PEOPLE. SO I JUST FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND I APPRECIATE CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP ON THIS ALONG WITH YOU, CHIEF. THANKS. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. THANKS AGAIN. AND YEP, WE'RE

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.