Oct 27, 2026 Public Safety Committee Meeting

[1. Presentation of Civilian Appeal Board 2024–2025 Biennial Report Overview]

[00:00:08]

AND OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS FROM MR. DAVIS ON THE CIVILIAN APPEAL BOARD. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PRESENTING THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD'S ANNUAL REPORT.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT HAVE HEARD THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD REPORT BEFORE, THIS IS A REPORT OF A COMMITTEE. SO THIS IS PRESENTED BY THE OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, BECAUSE WE SERVE AS LIAISON TO THAT BOARD. BUT THIS IS THE BOARD'S ANNUAL REPORT. THIS TIME. THIS IS A BI ANNUAL REPORT. WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO TODAY THE OUR AGENDA IS PRETTY SIMPLE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE AND FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS. WE'LL EXPLAIN THE MISSION AND THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE, THE APPELLATE PROCESS, SOME COMPLAINT TRENDS AND CAB APPEALS MORE BROADLY.

SO THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1996 THROUGH CITY COMMISSION POLICY 800 DASH ZERO TWO. NOW WE WERE WE ARE NOT THE ONLY REVIEW BOARD IN THE STATE. THERE ARE ALSO REVIEW BOARDS IN DETROIT AND ANN ARBOR AND KALAMAZOO. AND NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO COME UP AT SEVERAL PLACES ACROSS THE STATE. BUT GRAND RAPIDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER IN THIS SPACE, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD PAUSE AND REALLY CELEBRATE IS THAT BEFORE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARDS OR REVIEW BOARDS WERE POPULAR IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, WE WERE DOING IT BECAUSE WE WERE LEANING INTO THIS SPACE OF JUSTICE. NOW, OUR CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD AND EVERY CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD IS STRUCTURED DIFFERENTLY. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT IS THERE'S NOT ONE MODEL THAT JUST FITS EVERY AREA. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT UNIQUE ABOUT OUR CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD IS IT DOES HAVE AUTHORITY THAT I THINK A LOT OF BOARDS WOULD ASK FOR. AND THAT AUTHORITY IS TO, AS. WHEN IT REVIEWS CLOSE INTERNAL AFFAIRS CASES THAT FALL WITHIN THIS JURISDICTION, IT DOES HAVE THE POWER TO REVIEW THAT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION TO OVERTURN A DECISION OF I. A THAT'S A UNIQUE AUTHORITY. WHEN I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN NATIONAL CONFERENCES, I HAVE HEARD OTHER LEADERS SAY, WE REALLY WISH WE HAD THAT AUTHORITY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY ARE BEING ASKED ABOUT IT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD KNOW. IT IS A UNIQUE AUTHORITY AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK HELPS US MOVE ACCOUNTABILITY FORWARD. IN GRAND RAPIDS. I DID WANT TO REFER TO A QUOTE FROM THE THEN CHAIR OF THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, WHO WAS JASON OSBORNE, AND HE GAVE THIS QUOTE. HE SAID, THE BENEFIT OF THIS MODEL IS PROFOUND. IT ENSURES THAT GRAND RAPIDS HAS TRUE INDEPENDENT, CITIZEN LED POLICE OVERSIGHT. RESIDENTS WHO FEEL THEY HAVE BEEN WRONGED AND ARE UNSATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION, HAVE A MEANINGFUL RECOURSE, AN APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF THEIR PEERS. AND THAT'S THE WAY COMMUNITY SEES THIS SPACE. SO I KNOW THERE'S OFTEN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BOARD AND BUT LOOKING AT THIS AUTHORITY IS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO. AND I DO THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT SPACE FOR THE CITY.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AUTHORITY OF THIS BOARD, THIS BOARD CAN HEAR CERTAIN TYPES OF CASES. THOSE CASES INVOLVE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE THESE ALLEGATIONS, USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE, FALSIFICATION AND LYING, CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION OR HOSTILITY AND DISCOURTESY OR OTHER CONDUCT UNBECOMING OF AN OFFICER WHEN IT'S COMMITTED IN THE CONTEXT OF RACIAL ANIMOSITY OR PREJUDICE. SO GENERALLY, WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S IMPARTIAL POLICING POLICY. THE OTHER THING TO NOTE HERE IS THIS IS BASED OFF OF FINDINGS.

SO WHEN A COMPLAINT IS SUBMITTED TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION, THEY MAKE FINDINGS IN WHAT WE CALL A COMPLAINT DISPOSITION REPORT. WE MAKE A DETERMINATION ON IF A COMPLAINT IS ELIGIBLE BASED OFF OF THE FINDINGS THAT ARE MADE. SO IF INTERNAL AFFAIRS MAKES A FINDING REGARDING ONE OF THESE THINGS, THEN WE DETERMINE THAT IT'S ELIGIBLE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MISSION OF THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, I'M GOING TO READ THE EXACT LANGUAGE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S TO ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE CONDUCT OF POLICE OFFICERS DURING INTERACTIONS WITH CITIZENS, TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS WHO BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN MISTREATED BY POLICE OFFICERS TO USE THE INTERNAL COMPLAINT PROCESSES OF THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THOSE OFFICERS CONDUCT REVIEW, TO CREATE A PROCESS THAT FAIRLY AND EVEN HANDEDLY EVALUATES AND JUDGES TO CONDUCT OF EVERYONE INVOLVED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A BREACH OF DEPARTMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS OCCURRED, AND TO AFFORD THE COMMUNITY A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE COMMUNITY ITSELF IS INVOLVED AS NECESSARY IN REVIEWING THE ACTIVITY OF ITS POLICE OFFICERS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE THAT THE THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD IS REALLY LEANING INTO A SPACE THAT INVOLVES OUR EMPLOYEES, AND SO THEREFORE, IT INVOLVES EMPLOYMENT LAW. AND IT'S SOMETIMES I THINK IT'S EASY FOR PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF CRIMINAL LAW OR TRADITIONAL COURT, OR MAYBE

[00:05:02]

THEY MAY BE WATCHING FOR THEIR SERVICE TO TO CAB. IT IS A UNIQUE SPACE TO TO SERVE IN BECAUSE IT'S A QUASI JUDICIAL SPACE, MEANING THAT IT REQUIRES A LOT OF TRAINING, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO NAVIGATE THESE COMPLAINTS. SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORT THAT'S BEEN PUT IN. AND THIS TRAINING THAT'S PROVIDED IS NOT JUST PROVIDED BY OPA, IT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT. OUR CITY ATTORNEY SERVED WITH ME WITH THE CAP FOR MANY YEARS. BUT NOW OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, SARAH HARTMAN, SERVED IN THAT SPACE. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR FOR HER ROLE. THEY'RE ALSO LABOR RELATIONS IS INVOLVED IN THAT SPACE. AND OF COURSE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED IN THAT SPACE. THE TRAINING UNIT AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS ARE PRESENT AT EVERY HEARING. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THAT PART WORKS. BUT IN 2025, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT TURNOVER ON THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD. I WOULD SAY UNPRECEDENTED TURNOVER ON THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, WHICH PLACED US IN A SPACE WHERE A LOT OF OUR FOCUS DURING THAT TIME WAS REALLY ON GETTING THE BOARD UP TO SPEED, TRAINING THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE READY TO DO THE WORK OF THIS BOARD. AGAIN, IT'S A UNIQUE SPACE THAT REQUIRES SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO NAVIGATE. SO SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS OVERVIEW OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND OVERSIGHT BOARD MODELS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT'S TRAINING AS RECOMMENDED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF MY STAFF ARE CERTIFIED OVERSIGHT PRACTITIONERS. SO WE PROVIDE THAT TRAINING. WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OVERSIGHT IN GRAND RAPIDS, AS WELL AS THE APPELLATE PROCESS. ALTOGETHER, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES USE OF FORCE TRAINING, WHICH IS REALLY HELPFUL AND HANDS ON AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF EMPLOYMENT LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN IN THAT SPACE, AS WELL AS RELEVANT LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS. THE LAW DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDES LEGAL UPDATES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, AS THAT'S NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN A PARTICULAR CASE. SO WE LOST ALL BUT TWO OF THESE MEMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OR THEY TRANSITION FROM THE BOARD, ALL BUT TWO OF THOSE MEMBERS. SO WE STARTED THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE NEXT REPORT. GOING THROUGH THAT TRAINING AND GETTING EVERYONE BACK UP TO SPEED SO THAT WE COULD MOVE OVER, MOVE FORWARD. GIVEN THAT LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, IT DID TAKE SOME TIME, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT. BUT I'M GRATEFUL TO SAY WE'RE UP TO SPEED, AND THAT'S IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE CITY. OKAY. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE APPELLATE PROCESS, LET'S JUST WALK THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT COMPLETES AN INVESTIGATION. NOW, AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW COMPLAINTS ARE FILED, COMPLAINTS CAN BE FILED EITHER GENERAL COMPLAINTS, NOT THE APPEALS THEMSELVES CAN BE FILED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY CAN BE FILED WITH OPA. THEY CAN BE FILED AND HAVE BEEN FILED WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT. AND SOMETIMES THOSE CALLS COME DIRECTLY TO 311. AND AFTER THE IU COMPLETES THAT INVESTIGATION, APPEALS ARE ALLOWED. WHEN THE COMPLAINT DISPOSITION REPORT CONCLUDES THAT THE COMPLAINT WAS EITHER NOT SUSTAINED, UNFOUNDED OR EXONERATED. I'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS ON THE NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN THE COMPLAINANT SUBMITS THE APPEAL IN WRITING. NOW, CURRENTLY, OPA SERVES AS THE LIAISON TO THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD.

HISTORICALLY, BEFORE 2019, THE LAW DEPARTMENT SERVED AS THAT LIAISON. THAT TRANSITION WAS MADE, AND THAT'S THE LAW DEPARTMENT ALSO WORKS DIRECTLY WITH IU NAVIGATING THAT PART OF THE PROCESS. SO OPA CAME IN AND NOW RECEIVES THOSE COMPLAINTS FOR THE APPEAL. THE CAP A BINDER IS PREPARED WITH ALL THE RELEVANT EVIDENCE. CAP THEN REVIEWS THE FINDINGS OF IU THE.

AND ALL OF THE EVIDENCE GATHERED DURING THE APPEALS PROCESS. THE FIRST QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MOVE FORWARD. IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MOVE FORWARD, THEN THEY REVIEW THE REST OF THE COMPLAINT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY AGREE WITH THE FINDINGS OF IU, OR WOULD MOVE TO MODIFY IT IN SOME WAY. IF THEY GO TO MODIFY IT, THEY DO HAVE TO GIVE RATIONALE FOR WHY THEY WOULD BE MAKING THAT

[00:10:03]

SO THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD IS NOT INVOLVED IN MAKING A DISCIPLINE DETERMINATION IN ANY WAY. OKAY. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE RECOMMENDED FINDINGS, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS SO UNFOUNDED. WHEN A COMPLAINT IS DETERMINED TO BE UNFOUNDED, THAT MEANS THAT THE INVESTIGATION PROVED THAT THE ACTS COMPLAINED OF DID NOT OCCUR. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE SOMEBODY SAYING THAT THEY SAW ME ACROSS THE STREET RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M STANDING HERE. WELL, IF THE VIDEO SHOWS I'M HERE, THEN THAT WILL BE UNFOUNDED. WHEN SOMEONE IS EXONERATED, THAT MEANS THAT THE ALLEGATION OCCURRED, BUT IT WAS JUSTIFIED, LAWFUL OR PROPER. SO SOMEONE SAYS THEY SAW ME ACROSS THE STREET AND IT'S LIKE, YES, I WAS ACROSS THE STREET, BUT I WAS THERE FOR JUSTIFIED, LAWFUL OR PROPER REASON. WE TALK ABOUT NOT SUSTAINED. THAT MEANS THAT THE INVESTIGATION DIDN'T DISCLOSE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT THE ALLEGATION OCCURRED OR DID NOT OCCUR. SO THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. AND THEN WHEN SOMETHING IS SUSTAINED, IT MEANS THERE WAS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO CLEARLY PROVE THAT THE ALLEGATION MADE DID ACTUALLY OCCUR, AND IT WAS A VIOLATION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMPLAINTS, THE REASON TRADITIONALLY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE CAB REPORT IS BECAUSE THE SOURCE OF CARBS APPEALS ARE INITIALLY INVESTIGATIONS PROVIDED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THE DATA WE RECEIVED SUGGESTED THERE WERE 94 TOTAL COMPLAINTS. BUT IN 2024 AND A TOTAL OF 154 COMPLAINTS IN 2025 RECEIVED BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS. NOW HAD SOME CONVERSATION BEFORE WE PRESENTED TODAY AND LEARNED THAT THE WAY THAT SOME OF THESE NUMBERS WERE CALCULATED AND REPORTED TO OPA IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. SO HERE YOU'LL SEE THAT IT SAYS ADMINISTRATIVELY CLOSED COMPLAINTS INCREASED BY 400%. AND WHAT THE INFORMATION I'VE RECEIVED SUGGESTS THAT IT WASN'T A 400% INCREASE. HOWEVER, THE WAY THAT IT WAS REPORTED WAS REPORTED DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR, WHICH IS WHY THE DATA SUPPORTS IT WAS IT WAS THAT LARGE OF AN INCREASE, WHY IT WAS AN INCREASE. IT WASN'T THE FULL INCREASE TO THAT AMOUNT.

OKAY. SO THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD JUST POINT TO AS WE CONCLUDE IS THE NUMBER OF CAB APPEALS. SO CAB DOES A LOT OF WORK, RECEIVES A LOT OF TRAINING, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS APPEAL TO CAB. IT'S ANOTHER STEP THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DO THAT. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO. AFTER DOING A COMPLAINT, THEY HAVE TO FILE AN APPEAL IN ORDER TO GO FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP. THAT DOES NOT ALWAYS OCCUR. BUT WHEN COMPLAINANTS WANT TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT WAY, WE DO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT WAY. IT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF APPEALS THAT HAVE BEEN HEARD AND HOW WE'VE MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT. AGAIN, 2025, A LOT OF THE TIME WAS GETTING BOARD MEMBERS UP TO SPEED SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR COMPLAINTS.

AT OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS, I THINK LAST WEEK, CAB DID HAVE AN APPEAL. THEY ACTUALLY AFFIRMED THE DECISION OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED THE APPROPRIATE TRAINING. AND THE LAST THING I'LL ADD IS JUST THAT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION REGARDING THE REIMAGINATION OF THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, AND I'M SURE THERE'S QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT. TODAY'S REPORT IS ABOUT THE ACTUAL BUSINESS OF THE BOARD THERE. WE DO PLAN TO BRING FORWARD A CONVERSATION REGARDING THAT REIMAGINATION, THAT UPDATE REGARDING THAT IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR. WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS. MR. DAVIS, I HAVE ONE QUICK ONE. WE'RE NOW IN OCTOBER. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT OUR TRENDS ARE FOR CASES IN 2026? I CAN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE TRENDS FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS CASES. NO, I MEANT APPEALS. YEAH. OKAY. THERE HAS BEEN ONE APPEAL HEARD IN 2026.

THERE IS ANOTHER APPEAL, AS WE SAY IN THE HOPPER, THAT I ANTICIPATE BEING HEARD BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. OKAY. AND SO THE TOTAL COMPLAINT NUMBER THAT'S THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT GO TO I. A THAT'S OKAY. OKAY. SECOND QUESTION I HAD, AND THIS IS, I THINK, SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC. I, YOU AND I ARE BOTH LAWYERS AND BOTH DID WORK IN THE CRIMINAL DEFENSE SPACE OR THE, OR THE PROSECUTOR, BUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SPACE, THE IN THE COURT SYSTEM, OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE AN APPEAL, THE COURT OF APPEALS DOESN'T GENERATE NEW FACTS.

THEY DON'T GO OUT AND QUESTION WITNESSES. THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE NEW HEARINGS, RIGHT.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT AN ESTABLISHED RECORD AND REVIEWING THAT RECORD. THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY APPEAL. RIGHT. SO CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT CAB AND HOW IT MIRRORS THAT PROCESS? YES. GREAT QUESTION. CAB, FOR THE MOST PART, OPERATES LIKE A QUASI COURT OF APPEAL TYPE SPACE IN THAT THE ROLE OF CAB IS NOT TO HAVE NEW HEARINGS OR TO IT DOES NOT HAVE

[00:15:04]

HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION TO THAT. IF CAB LOOKS AND SAYS THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT REVIEWED AND IT NEEDED, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED IN ORDER TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE, LET'S SAY THAT THERE ARE 12 OFFICERS ON SCENE AT AN INCIDENT, AND I A REVIEWED TEN OF THE VIDEOS TO REPORT OF IT. CAB MAY LOOK AND SAY THERE WERE TWO OTHER VIDEOS THAT WE THINK WE NEED TO SEE NOW. I VERY WELL WILL UNDERSTAND. THIS OFFICER WAS STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO THE OTHER OFFICER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION. THEY DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THAT VIDEO, BUT THE BOARD MIGHT SAY WE DID. THEN THEY CAN GO BACK. THEY CAN REQUEST FROM US TO GO TO IA AND GET THAT VIDEO SO THEY CAN LOOK AT IT. SO THAT'S THE EXTENT OF ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. IT'S NOT DESIGNED TO TAKE TESTIMONY OR DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT VERY MUCH IS DESIGNED TO BE AN APPEAL. AND SO THE OTHER POINT THAT'S WORTH MAKING HERE, I GUESS, IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I HEAR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SAY, WELL, IT OUGHT TO HAVE SUBPOENA POWER. WELL, ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS SUGGESTING YOU HAVE A BODY WHICH HAS REAL INVESTIGATIVE CAN CAN GO OUT AND TRY TO SORT OF RE RE INVESTIGATE A CASE.

AND THAT'S THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IN THE IN THE I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WE DON'T DO THAT IN OUR COURT OF APPEALS. SO THERE ARE CERTAINLY STRONG REASONS TO FOLLOW THAT FOR FOR THE CAB.

SURE. THAT. YES SIR. I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT REVIEW BOARD MODELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THERE ARE REVIEW BOARDS THAT HAVE JUST THAT AUTHORITY. THEY TAKE TESTIMONY, THEY HAVE SUBPOENA POWER. THEY NAVIGATE IN THAT WAY. THAT IS NOT THE DESIGN OF OUR MODEL. I THINK THAT THE DISTINCTION I OFTEN SEE IN COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE SAY THAT THE AUTHORITY THEY WOULD DESIRE, I UNDERSTAND THE FRAMEWORK FOR THAT. AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S WITHOUT MERIT, BUT THE BIG DISTINCTION IS THOSE BOARDS WHO HAVE SUBPOENA AUTHORITY DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO OVERTURN DECISIONS. SO, AND AND PERSONALLY, I THINK THE POWER TO OVERTURN DECISIONS IS A STRONG AUTHORITY THAT THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HOLD ON TO IN THIS CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT SPACE.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING THIS BE A TRUE APPEAL BOARD. YES. NOT A IT'S NOT A REINVESTIGATION BOARD. IT'S AN APPEAL BOARD THAT A THAT A FAIR WAY TO SUMMARIZE. THAT'S A FAIR WAY TO SAY IT. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHELSEA, THANK YOU.

SO IN 2006, THIS WAS THE FIRST BOARD THAT I SERVED ON AS A VOLUNTEER. MY EMPLOYER AT THE TIME SAID, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR TRAINING, SO WE THINK YOU SHOULD BE ON A CITY BOARD. AND I REMEMBER GOING AND KIND OF THE SAME THING. YOU KNOW, WE THERE'S LIKE BIG PACKETS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WENT THROUGH SOME TRAINING MYSELF, BUT IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME. SO I WANT TO JUST REVIEW A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR, FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO, TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND FROM THAT LEGAL PERSPECTIVE. SO IN 2024, YOU HAD THAT THE CAB REVIEWED. SO SLIDE 11, CAB REVIEWED RESULTED IN FINDING OF AFFIRMED. AND THEN ON SLIDE EIGHT, THERE'S POSSIBLE RECOMMENDED FINDINGS, BUT THE THE TERM AFFIRMED ISN'T ON THERE, AM I? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M MATCHING UP THE LANGUAGE. IF FOR ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE READING THIS. GOOD QUESTION. OKAY, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UNFOUNDED, EXONERATED, NON-SUSTAINED AND SUSTAINED, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT COMES IN THE COMPLAINT DISPOSITION REPORTS WHEN INTERNAL AFFAIRS. OKAY, LOOKS AT THE CASE ORIGINALLY.

GOT IT. OKAY. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN CAB RECEIVES IT, I'M TRYING TO GO. THERE WE GO. WHEN CAB RECEIVES IT, THEY'LL SEE THIS LANGUAGE. GOT IT COMING FROM INTERNAL AFFAIRS. SO THAT'S NOT YOUR LANGUAGE. THAT'S NOT CAB LANGUAGE. AFTERWARDS, CAB WILL EITHER SUSTAIN WHAT ESSENTIALLY AFFIRM, ESSENTIALLY SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE AGREE WITH, WHAT INTERNAL AFFAIRS SAID, OR THEY'LL MODIFY IT AND SAY, WE WANT TO SWITCH IT TO ONE OF THE OTHERS THAT IS LISTED ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. OKAY. IN THAT WAY. OKAY. THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL JUST TO ADD, BECAUSE THAT WAS, I MEAN, I WAS SCANNING SO, BUT THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW. AND THEN FOR 2025, THE ONES THAT WERE ELIGIBLE, THE 26 AND THERE WAS THREE APPEALS, APPEALS THAT WERE FILED. DO WE KNOW IS THERE YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT KIND OF IT'S VERY DIFFERENT, BUT OUR FOIA APPEALS PROCESS, RIGHT? SO PEOPLE WANT SOME INFORMATION. THEY HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

SOMETIMES WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY DO THE FULL APPEAL. IS THERE ANY OF THAT THAT OCCURS FROM WHEN LIKE IF WE KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL AND THIS IS PROBABLY MORE SO THOSE IF THEY FILED THE APPEAL BECAUSE THEN THERE WERE ZERO APPEALS THAT WERE HEARD. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING IS HOW DOES IT GO FROM THE 26 TO THE THREE TO THE ZERO? IS IT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE THREE? I KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF LIKE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND THOSE SORT OF TRAININGS. SO I DON'T KNOW, SOMETIMES IF THINGS MIGHT OVERLAP THERE. JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION. I THINK THERE'S A THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT. CERTAINLY WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS PART OF IT. OUR OFFICE HAS CONVERSATIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS WHEN THEY ASK US

[00:20:03]

FREQUENCY OF THIS REPORT. I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE SEEN AND WITNESSED SOME OF THIS, IS THAT IT'S NOT EVERY TWO YEARS, BUT I GUESS IT'S GENERALLY AN ANNUAL REPORT, RIGHT? IT'S AGAIN, IT WAS BI ANNUAL BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE TURNOVER WE WERE HAVING THIS TIME. OUR INTENTION IS TO DO IT ANNUALLY. I FEEL LIKE THE BOARD IS IN A STABLE PLACE AT THIS POINT. AGAIN, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO HELPING MISS HARTMAN. SO I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WELL AND DO THE REPORT ANNUALLY. AND WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE REQUESTS FOR RESTRUCTURING OF THE CAP. SO WE'LL GIVE A MORE THOROUGH REPORT ABOUT THAT IN JANUARY.

BUT SHORT VERSION IS WE'VE WE'VE HEARD REQUESTS RELATED TO SUBPOENA AUTHORITY. WE'VE HEARD REQUESTS RELATED TO THE ABILITY FOR A COMPLAINANT TO SHARE THEIR SIDE. RIGHT TO THE APPEALS BOARD. WE HEARD REQUESTS FOR AS IT RELATES TO TRAINING FOR THE BOARD. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO BEEN, IN FAIRNESS, CONCERNS ON THE OTHER SIDE RELATED TO SOME OF THE WHAT LEGAL TERM I WILL USE IS DICTA STATED BY THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD, WHICH WILL BE LIKE OTHER THOUGHTS DURING APPELLATE HEARINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WE'VE HEARD ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. WE'RE WE'RE DEVELOPING A PRETTY EXTENSIVE PROCESS TO EVALUATE THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING ON IT IN DETAIL IN THE COMING MONTHS. AND, MR. DAVIS, YOU'RE VERY GOOD AT GIVING, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE, BROKEN DOWN EXAMPLES, BUT YOU USED A FANCY WORD THERE. SO DICTA MEANS IF I WERE SAYING IF THE QUESTION WAS, DID I CROSS THE STREET WITH A LIGHT OR NOT? AND IN THE MIDDLE OF IT I SAID, AND I THINK THE LIONS STINK.

THAT'S DICTA. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. AND I THINK AND FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY. WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SERVING IN THIS SPACE. NOT ALL OF THEM ARE LAWYERS OR HAVE THAT LEGAL BACKGROUND, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE TRAINED TO NAVIGATE THE SPACE. SO MISS HARMON AND I PARTNER TO REMIND THEM OF SOME OF THE LEGAL SPACES NAVIGATING AS WE WALK THROUGH THAT. THE DICTA MAKES SENSE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO HAVE AN OPINION AND A THOUGHT. BUT WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A RECORD, YOU KNOW THAT THAT BECOMES A PART OF THE RECORD, AND THAT CAN IMPACT HOW FAIR IT SEEMS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO ARE HEARING IT. PROBABLY NOT ILLEGAL, BUT DEFINITELY IMPACTS THAT PART OF IT. BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO PAUSE AND REALLY THANK THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE IN THIS SPACE, WHO HAVE SERVED AND WHO ARE SERVING OUR CURRENT CHAIR IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB. OUR LAST CHAIR DID AN AMAZING JOB NAVIGATING THIS SPACE, AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO LEAN IN HERE. SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR FOR ALL OF THEM. ALSO, MR. NICK DRAKE IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT HE REALLY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PULLING THIS REPORT TOGETHER.

SO I WANT TO THANK HIM AS WELL. YEAH, I CERTAINLY WANT TO ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS, MR. DAVIS. I MEAN, THIS IS THIS IS A REAL COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF CITIZENS WHO DON'T GET PAID TO DO THIS WORK. AND IT'S A REAL COMMITMENT TO TO REVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING DONE APPELLATE WORK MYSELF HOURS AND HOURS, AND IT'S HARD TO SOMETIMES STAY AWAKE WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT STUFF. AND TO ADD THAT ON TOP OF ALL OF YOUR OTHER LIFE RESPONSIBILITIES IS A, IS A BIG ASK. SO CERTAINLY VERY GRATEFUL THAT PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND DO THAT WORK. THANK YOU. OKAY. NOT SEEING ANY OTHER

[2. 2026 Public Safety Committee - Fire Prevention Presentation]

[00:25:07]

[00:30:03]

I THINK THEY'RE THEY'RE A WONDERFUL TOOL FOR DISPLAY AND ACTUALLY KIND OF PREFER THEM OVER FIREWORKS. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, THEY DON'T SCARE MY DOG, BUT WHAT I'M, WHAT I, WHAT I, WHAT I DO NOW, I THINK ABOUT IT SAY, WHEN I, NOW THAT I'M SAYING IT, I REALIZE LIKE, OKAY, SHOOT OFF FIREWORKS ON A REALLY WINDY DAY, THE SMOKE MOVES FAST, BUT MAYBE THERE'S NOT A LOT MORE DANGER. WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN, WE OUGHT TO MAYBE HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT LIKE, WHAT ARE THE PROTOCOLS FOR LIKE CANCELING THEM IF THERE'S ENOUGH WIND AND WHO'S, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WHO REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR DISPLAY GO UP ARE TOLD, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONS GOT BAD FOR IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TODAY OR WHATEVER. RIGHT. AND THERE IS AN EVENT ORGANIZER THAT'S, IT'S COMING UP HERE IN A FEW WEEKS FOR VETERANS DAY DISPLAY. AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY MUCH ON

[00:35:06]

AND THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL. IT WAS GREAT TO CELEBRATE THE NEW STATION. RIGHT ON GRIGGS IS WHERE I WENT TO CHURCH ALL MY LIFE. SO A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM THE NEW STATION AND WE CONTINUE TO LEAD. I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS. THIS STATION IS ALSO THE FIRST STATION IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO HAVE BILINGUAL SIGNAGE. SO THAT IS WONDERFUL. AND I THINK IT ONCE AGAIN SHOWS THAT WE NOT ONLY NEED OUR FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE WORST TIMES OF OUR LIVES, BUT THEY'RE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE CAN CELEBRATE THOSE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT CONNECT US EVERY DAY. SO THAT WAS A REALLY COOL FACT TO LEARN DURING THAT AS WE WRAPPED UP HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. SO REALLY PROUD OF YOU ALL AND GREAT TO SEE THIS. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.

I HAVE A QUESTION. SO I'M CURIOUS AS TO YOUR PROCESS OF HOW YOU ANTICIPATE RISKS, AND THEN DECIDE ON THE INTERVENTIONS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO TO GO OUT AND PERFORM FIRE PREVENTION. SO WITHIN THAT PROCESS OF EVALUATING THOSE RISKS, ARE YOU USING SOME FORM OF DATA ANALYSIS OR PREDICTIVE MODELING? AS YOU LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL STRUCTURES OR CATEGORIES OF STRUCTURES, TO TRY TO GET A BIT MORE EMPIRICALLY INFORMED ABOUT WHAT POTENTIAL RISKS COULD OCCUR? YES WE DO. AND FOR THE DATA COMPONENT OF LOOKING BACK, HINDSIGHT'S 2020, WE STILL, YOU KNOW, ARE EXPERIENCING THE TOP THREE IMPROPERLY DISCARDED SMOKING MATERIALS, UNATTENDED COOKING AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES. AND THAT REALLY POINTS BACK TO SOME OF HER MORE AGED HOMES THAT HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, A VERY, YOU KNOW, A GOOD LIFE, BUT A LONG LIFE. AND WHEN THOSE MODIFICATIONS ARE MADE, SOME ARE UNFORTUNATELY DONE WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. AND SERVICE PANELS CAN FAIL, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR CIRCUIT BREAKERS. AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE AN OVERLOAD ON A CIRCUIT AND PEOPLE YOU KNOW BACK IN THE DAY USE BUS FUZES, THEY USE PENNIES TO GO BACK IN THERE WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE A FUZE. RIGHT. SIMILARLY, WITH THESE CIRCUIT BREAKERS, IF YOU JUST KEEP GOING BACK AND FLIPPING THEM, THEY'RE GOING TO FAIL. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THAT PANEL IS TELLING YOU IN A MATTER OF SPEAK. IF YOU KEEP HAVING ISSUES WHERE YOU'RE HAVING TO TRIP THAT BREAKER, YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT CIRCUIT, AND YOU SHOULD GET AN ELECTRICIAN OUT THERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND GIVE YOU SOME HELP WITH IT. BUT YES, WE DO LOOK AT INFORMATION LIKE THAT. PREDICTIVE MODELING IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. WE DO KNOW SOME CERTAIN RISKS OUT THERE THAT WE WANT TO GET MORE. REFINED AT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ON A HORIZON THAT WE'RE SEEING, IN FACT, IT'S NOT EVEN ON THE HORIZON ANYMORE. IT'S RIGHT NOW IN OUR HOMES, AND IT IS IN PROPER USE OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY CHARGERS THAT ARE MAYBE AFTERMARKET OR ARE SUBPAR PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING THE MANUFACTURER GUIDELINES. PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE BECAUSE THEY REALLY ARE RISK. AND WHEN THEY GO OFF, THEY ARE VIOLENT. SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE NOT HAVING MICRO MOBILITY OFF DEVICES IN YOUR HOME, KEEP THEM OUTSIDE IN THE GARAGE OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ALL THOSE THINGS LIKE THE AGE, AS YOU SAY, BUT THE HISTORY OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS TOO, AND THAT JUST GIVES A TREMENDOUS IMPACT TO THE WAY THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY INTERVENING. SO I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. CHIEF, ONE OTHER THING I WORRY ABOUT A LITTLE BIT. GENERATORS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT SMALLER, AND I'M WORRIED THAT SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW CARBON MONOXIDE WORKS IS GOING TO HAVE A GENERATOR INSIDE THEIR HOUSE WHEN THERE'S A POWER OUTAGE INSTEAD OF I MEAN, THE LAST ONE I BOUGHT IS THE SIZE OF A COOLER. IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE SIZE OF A SMALL CAR IN MY BACKYARD. AND YOU CAN GET THEM FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS. AND WE ALL KNOW POWER OUTAGES ARE REAL. SO MAYBE THINK ABOUT SOME LIKE PUBLIC PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AS YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, MAYBE BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO FOR CARBON MONOXIDE IS PRODUCED INSIDE OF YOUR HOME ON PURPOSE.

[00:40:03]

MAYOR. THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK. AND I WANT TO ECHO MY APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT OFTEN IS NOT SEEN. WE OFTEN DON'T THINK ABOUT IT UNLESS THERE'S A PROBLEM. SO ALL OF THE PRE-EVENT INSPECTING AND PREPPING, PREPPING OF BUILDINGS THAT YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE THE LARGE FIREWORKS AND GATHERINGS, THANK YOU FOR THAT. EVEN MAKING DIFFICULT SITUATIONS MORE SOLUTION ORIENTED FOR BUSINESSES WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR INSPECTIONS. I KNOW YEARS AGO THEY USED TO SEE THE FIRE MARSHAL AND AND RUN. AND I THINK YOU YOU'VE YOU'VE CHANGED THE CULTURE A LITTLE BIT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND THEY SEE YOU AS A BUSINESS PARTNER AND SOLUTION ORIENTED.

I KNOW YEARS AGO, WE HAD THE ISSUE WITH THE HALLS THAT WERE NOT MODERNIZED, AND WE FOUND A CREATIVE WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE BUT ALSO FUNCTIONAL. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS AROUND, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING THE STATION, ALL THE PARTNERS THAT HELPED US DO IT, BUT ALSO THAT YOU MADE SPACE IN THE STATION FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY ROOM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STATION. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND I WILL CARRY BACK ALL YOUR ACCOLADES TO MY TEAM. THANKS. THANK YOU. GREAT PRESENTATION.

[3. Presentation from the Grand Rapids Police Department on Monthly Crime Stats]

[00:45:05]

WHEN THOSE KNOW, WHEN YOU COMMIT A CRIME OF THAT NATURE, THAT THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY. SO I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE WORK OF OUR DETECTIVE UNIT AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO COUNTLESS HOURS. SO. 20 RECORDED FATAL OVERDOSES YEAR TO DATE AND 29 ILLEGALLY POSSESSED GUNS THROUGH SEPTEMBER, RECOVERED OFF THE STREET. THIS PORTION IS SOMETHING NEW, BUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IF IS JUST KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE WORK OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN. AND THIS YEAR AT THE CPAM CONFERENCE CRIME PREVENTION ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT RECEIVED THIS AWARD FOR 2026. THE CPAM AWARDS ARE PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO HONOR ITS MEMBERS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITIZENS OF MICHIGAN AND IN THE FIELD OF CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM CAPTAIN BUTLER HERE LATER FOR THE TRAINING UNIT PRESENTATION. BUT HE OVERSEES THIS UNIT, AND IT'S A UNIT THAT PUTS PUTS THEIR PRIDE AND HONOR INTO THIS INTO THIS WORK. IT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR COMMITTEE OFFICERS HOUSE CURRENTLY CURRENTLY. AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE WE'VE DONE WITH THEM AND THE FEEDBACK WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THAT UNIT, WHICH I JUST HEARD. I WENT TO A BREAKFAST THIS MORNING AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND TWO PEOPLE APPROACHED ME ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY OFFICERS AND THE WORK THEY'RE DOING AND THE CONNECTION THEY'RE MAKING, WHICH MAKES ME PROUD OF BOTH THE ORGANIZATION AND THE CITY I WORK FOR. THIS IS A COUPLE MESSAGES THAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO SEE SOME OF THE GOOD WORK THAT GOES OUT THERE. THIS IS FROM A LIFELONG LONGTIME HEARTHSIDE RESIDENT. WE SAW TWO OFFICERS WALKING THE BEAT THEY WERE CORDIALLY INTERACTING WITH WITH FOLKS. THE FOOT PATROLS AND INCREASED PRESENCE AT THE PARK HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HART SIDE RESIDENTS. THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANKS TO YOUR TEAM. AND THIS ONE'S AN AUDIO, RIGHT? MATT. IF I CLICK IT FORWARD, IT SHOULD PLAY. OR NOT. LET'S SEE. I DON'T THINK SO. NO. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO BACK. I'LL JUST READ IT. BUT THIS IS FROM THE NO KINGS RALLY. AND I THINK SOME OF THE MISCONCEPTION IS THAT SOME OF OUR CONTACT AT THESE RALLIES IS ALL ABRASIVE OR NEGATIVE. AND THIS IS JUST FROM A ATTENDEE THAT SAID, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS AT THE RALLY FOR NO KINGS VOTE. I UNDERSTOOD AND SAW SOME PEOPLE BEING VERY RUDE TO GRPD OFFICERS, AND I'M ASHAMED THAT THAT HAPPENED. I THOUGHT THE POLICE OFFICERS DID AN EXEMPLARY JOB OF BEING OUT THERE AND WATCHING EVERYBODY AND KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE. SORRY THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD TO RUIN IT FOR THE MOST OF US. AND AS A DEPUTY CHIEF OVERSEEING ONE OF THESE, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A SIMILAR COMMENT THAT CAME INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF THANKING US FOR BEING OUT THERE AND DEFINITELY MAKING PEOPLE FEEL SAFE. IT'S A BALANCE WHEN WE WORK THESE EVENTS OF NOT BEING THE SHOW OR FOR THOSE THAT POTENTIAL AGITATORS AND LETTING PEOPLE HAVE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. SO IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE. AND THEN I'LL JUST SHARE A COUPLE OTHER INCIDENTS THAT I GO TO A LOT OF PATROL LINEUPS OR BRIEFINGS. SO I HEAR SOME OF THE, THE BANTER THAT GOES AROUND BETWEEN THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT DOESN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF THEM, THEIR SUPERVISOR, WHATEVER, SENDING A MESSAGE TO COMMAND OR MYSELF ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE OFFICERS DOING THE, THE HUMANITY TYPE WORK. AND ONE OF THEM WAS AN INCIDENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE DOWNTOWN WHERE WE HAD CAUGHT OFF THE AREA AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE. AND I THINK WE GAVE THE SHELTER IN PLACE TO SOME OF THE BUSINESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS. SO THIS IS AFTER THE FACT. IT WAS BASICALLY THERE WAS SOME I DON'T KNOW WHAT BUSINESS IT WAS, BUT THERE WERE SOME KIDS THAT WERE IN A BUSINESS THAT WERE SHELTERING IN PLACE WITH THE FAMILY, AND HE WAS JUST EXPRESSING HOW ONE OF THE OFFICERS WAS PLAYING PAPER ROCK SCISSORS THROUGH THE WINDOW, JUST TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF KEEP CALM AND, AND, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY. AND IT'S JUST THAT THAT LIGHTHEARTED MOMENT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT, THAT I'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT MY, MY CAREER. AND THE LAST ONE IS JUST AN INCIDENT. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WHERE IT WAS ONE OF THE TOUGH ONES. IT'S A CPS CALL WHERE YOU SEE THE CONDITIONS IN THE HOUSE AND THE THAT THE KIDS ARE THE YOUNG KIDS ARE LIVING IN. AND IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LACK OF FOOD IN THE HOME AND, AND FURNITURE AND ALL THIS. AND IT WAS THE HOUSE WAS IN POOR OR CONDITION, AND ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS STATED HOW HE WENT UPSTAIRS TO FIND ONE OF THE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, SITTING ON HIS BUTT ON THE FLOOR OF A BEDROOM OF ONE OF THE CHILDREN

[00:50:02]

SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THAT'S THE EXPECTATION. SO I'M PROUD TO HEAR THAT, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, CHIEF. I THINK I'M CONTINUED. I'M VERY THANKFUL TO KEEP GETTING SOME OF THESE STORIES AT THE END. I THINK STORYTELLING IS REALLY POWERFUL, AND I'M HOPING THAT IT'S HELPING THE PUBLIC GET A MORE WELL-ROUNDED PICTURE OF WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIP. I THINK IT'S AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACLU ORDINANCE. I'VE ALSO GOT A FEW CONSTITUENTS ASKING TO HAVE COMMISSIONERS SORT OF END THAT CONTRACT BEFORE JUNE OF NEXT YEAR WHEN IT'S UP. IF YOU COULD JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MAY MEAN AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT DECISION, BECAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CONTRACTS, RIGHT? SO FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WOULD SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS OR WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR YOU? WELL, AND I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE IT'S A BALANCE, RIGHT, OF THOSE THAT WANT TO WANT THEIR PRIVACY AND ALSO THE EVALUATING ON THIS, THIS TOOL, THIS INVESTIGATIVE TOOL. SO I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST JUST ANY KNEE JERK REACTION IN THE SENSE THAT WE MAKE A DECISION THAT'S MORE EMOTIONAL THAN BEING ABLE TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY, LIKE WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE? WHAT TYPE OF TOOLS DO WE WANT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE? I THINK HAVING THAT TOOL WITH PARAMETER SET IN PLACE, WITH THE FIRST STEP, WITH HAVING IT UNDER THE SURVEILLANCE POLICY, AND IF THERE'S OTHER MEASURES THAT WOULD HELP. YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE, WE'VE EARNED A TRUST WITH THE OTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. WHEN THE DRONES THAT YOU'VE HEARD ME EITHER MYSELF OR DC MAYCROFT REFERENCE THAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE OR THAT TRUST PIECE COMES THROUGH WITH TIME, TRYING TO SHOW THAT WE'LL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE TO THE USE AND JUST BE ABLE TO SHOW THE THE BENEFITS OF IT AND THE VALUE OF IT. AND I, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I WANT THE BEST TOOLS TO HELP US DO OUR JOB MORE EFFICIENTLY, BECAUSE MORE EFFICIENTLY MEANS THEY'RE FREED UP TO GO DO OTHER THINGS. WE HAVE A GROWING CALLS, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY, WE'RE UP TO 312 CALLS A DAY NOW. AND TWO COUPLE YEARS AGO IT WAS IN THE TWO 70S, I BELIEVE, 275. SO I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SURE, MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BEST TECHNOLOGY WITH RESPECT TO PEOPLE'S PRIVACY. YEAH. AT THIS AGE, I THINK OUR CITY DESERVES IT. YEAH. I LOVE THE WORD BALANCE. I THINK THAT'S JUST IN

[00:55:05]

YEAH. AND JUST BRIEFLY, WE DON'T WANT TO MISCHARACTERIZE THE ASU, ACLU WORK PRODUCT EITHER, BECAUSE THEY VERY CLEARLY FLAGGED THAT THAT WAS A DRAFT, WHICH IS SORT OF A STARTING POINT FOR A CONVERSATION. YES. AND ALSO EVEN TO CALL AN ORDINANCE IS THE WRONG WORD BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE ORDINANCES. THE CITY COMMISSION MAKES ORDINANCES.

BUT YES, THERE'S A THERE'S A IT'S QUITE APPROPRIATE, AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE TO HAVE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE DO PUBLIC SAFETY, HOW WE DO. OUR OUR WELCOMING, HOW WE MAKE OUR CITY A WELCOMING CITY, HOW WE DO, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, KEEP OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVING INTEGRITY AND SEPARATED FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES. AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, ONGOING CONVERSATIONS. BUT, BUT THEY DON'T STOP WITH THEY DON'T STOP WITH A DRAFT MEMO BEING CIRCULATED. YEAH, I KNOW THAT WASN'T THE INTENTION. YEAH, YEAH. THANKS. COMMISSIONER STACEY, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, CHIEF. I WANTED TO CALL OUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TITLE HE CALLED IT OUT, BUT ABOUT SEEING PEOPLE IN ACTION. YOU WERE SEEN IN ACTION AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. YOU WERE LIKE I WAS. REMEMBER ME? YOU AND COMMISSIONER? YES, YES, YES, YES. HE'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO DO MANY THINGS. BUT AND THERE WAS A QUESTION AROUND, THERE WAS A QUESTION AROUND, PARTICULARLY AROUND OUR WORK TO RESPOND TO THE ICE, THE DHS BUILDING. AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHY DO WE WHY ARE WE SHOWING UP THERE? AND I SAW YOU TALK TO THIS PERSON WHO WAS REALLY FRUSTRATED AND SCARED AND HURT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING. AND BY THE END OF IT, I SAW HIM SHAKE YOUR HAND AND YOU TALKED VERY OPENLY ABOUT WHY YOU FEEL IT IS BEST FOR YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE TRAINED IN THE DE-ESCALATION.

YOU ALL HAVE A NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE TRAINING AS IT RELATES TO HOW TO RESPOND TO A SITUATION. THEN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT, YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR ABILITY VERSUS COMPARING IT, BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT COMPARISON. YEAH. AND SO I THINK THAT I WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SOMEWHAT, I THINK IN THE, IN THE, THE LANGUAGE AROUND, I'LL JUST SAY CHANGES THAT WE THAT WE DRAFT RECEIVE FROM ACLU. SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I SAW THAT IN ACTION. AND THEN I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE I THINK THAT PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM. WE WANT THAT TO HAVE THAT REDUCTION OF HARM AS MUCH AS WE CAN. I ALSO WANT TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONES WHO CREATE THE ORDINANCES. AND I WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON BACK IN 2022, 20, 2021, AT THE END OF OR NO, AT THE END OF 22 INTO 23, WE RECEIVED FROM SOME FOLKS, SOME BUSINESS LEADERS, I THINK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OTHER FOLKS IN TOWN WHO SAID, WE NEED A ORDINANCE. WE'RE

[01:00:04]

SO THAT'S WHY THEY EXISTED. YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN I HEAR ALL THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, WE HAVE A TOOL THAT'S SORT OF BEEN BEING UTILIZED. AND SO I HAVE SAID THAT TO SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE SAID USING THE WORD ALL AS A RELATED TO AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS, BECAUSE I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE. AND I ALSO HOLD DEEP CONCERN ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS GROWN QUICKLY. APPRECIATED FLOCK COMING IN. I HAVE A LOT OF BELIEF AND. AND APPRECIATION FOR THIS DEPARTMENT AND FOR EVERYBODY THAT DOESN'T COME UP HERE AND SIT IN THESE CHAIRS.

AND I KNOW WE HAVE BUILT THE APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS AND MECHANISMS. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS USING UTILIZING OUR DATA RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S THE THING THAT IS THE MOST SCARY FOR ME. SO I'M GOING TO SPEND THIS TIME AS WE GET INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS, CITY MANAGER, ABOUT BUDGET AND AND POLICY PIECES TO REALLY DIG INTO THAT FLOCK. WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE, THE, THE PORTAL, THE, THE, THE OPEN DATA THAT NOW EXISTS TO TRY TO TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU. TRANSPARENCY PORTAL TO REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT. BECAUSE THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IN MY HEAD IS I HAVE DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND HOW DO I SQUARE THAT WITH THE DEEP UNDERSTANDING, KNOWLEDGE, RESPECT THAT I HAVE FOR THE DEPARTMENT? AND THEN HOW CAN I BEST EXERT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CHANGING FEDERAL LANDSCAPE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 200,000 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, 200,000 YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE AS YOUNG AS TWO YEARS OLD AND THREE YEARS OLD. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF HOLD THAT IN THIS, THIS BALANCE.

AND SO I AM I'M FULLY COMFORTABLE WITH THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE CITY MANAGER OF LIKE REVIEWING THIS, SHARING THIS, HOW YOU'VE SQUARED UP THE, THE CONTRACTS AND JUST SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I HEARD, YOU KNOW, WHEN DEPUTY CHIEF MAYCROFT GAVE THAT PRESENTATION.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT YOU WERE VERY OPEN AND FORTHCOMING ABOUT THAT. AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WAS ON MY MIND AS IT RELATES TO THAT. AND AS WE GO CLOSE UP THIS YEAR AND GET READY TO GO INTO NEXT YEAR. NO, I THINK I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT REAL QUICK WHAT OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNITY EVENT WE WERE AT TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, I SAW AT THAT GENTLEMAN OUT AFTERWARDS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE HAD SOME VERY TOUGH QUESTIONS AND WHATNOT. I'VE ALWAYS SAID I APPRECIATE THE TOUGH QUESTIONS BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, USUALLY THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WHERE IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GROWTH, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND HE APPRECIATED THE THE ONE ON ONE TIME AFTERWARDS. AND I THINK WHAT REALLY RESONATED WITH HIM IS WHEN I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO ALWAYS RESPOND TO A CALL OF A CRIME OCCURRING NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. THAT'S, THAT'S OUR JOB. THAT'S WHAT WE WE TOOK THE OATH TO DO. AND WHEN HE EXPLAINED THE THE INCIDENT WITH A FEW OF THE ICE OFFICERS THAT HAD THEIR MK9, WHICH IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE MACE AND THE MASK ON AND THAT THINGS WERE ABOUT TO GET OUT OF HAND. AND, AND GR PD PULLED UP AND HE USED THE WORDS ASSIST.

BUT MY WORDS WERE WE DE-ESCALATED THAT SITUATION, RIGHT? NO, NOTHING HAD TO BE USED. AND I SAID, IF ANY DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO RESPOND, I WANT OUR DEPARTMENT RESPONDING BECAUSE I KNOW HOW THEY'RE TRAINED. I KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATION OF IS OF OUR DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE HANDLE THESE THINGS. AND WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE BAITED WITH CERTAIN LANGUAGE THAT I WAS JUST BAITED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT A CITY COMMISSION MEETING WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID TO ME THAT YOU DON'T TAKE THE BAIT, YOU STAY PROFESSIONAL IN THIS UNIFORM. AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THOSE LINKS WITH WITH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE AND CALL YOU, THEN THAT'S THEM, NOT US. AND IF YOU TAKE THE BAIT, WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR THAT, AND WE'LL ADDRESS IT AND GET YOU BACK, BACK, YOU KNOW, POINT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANKS FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT. BUT YES, HAVE FULL FAITH IN OUR DEPARTMENT WHEN WE HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS PROFESSIONALLY. SO THANKS,

[4. Presentation from the Grand Rapids Police Department's Training Unit]

[01:05:10]

ALL RIGHT. GOOD, GOOD. COME ON UP OR COME ON DOWN. I NEVER DID THE PRICE IS RIGHT. WELL, THESE ARE. ALL. AND I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE A REAL QUICK. OBVIOUSLY, CAPTAIN BUTLER, AS YOU SEE HERE, HE'S BEEN WITH OUR 25 YEARS LONG SUPPORT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE 20 WITH US. VERY IMPRESSIVE RESUME WITH JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED HERE FROM MICHIGAN STATE POLICE, FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR, NATIONAL TACTICAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, ACTIVE VIOLENCE INSTRUCTOR, FBI CRISIS NEGOTIATOR TRAINING, HUMAN FACTOR RESEARCH GROUP, DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR FOR DE-ESCALATION INSTRUCTOR, EFFECTIVE FITNESS COMBATIVES LEVEL TWO INSTRUCTOR. THAT'S OUR FC GRAPPLING TYPE STUFF.

LESS STRIKES FEMA, FIELD FORCE AND COMMAND PLANNING FOR EXECUTIVES AND COOPER INSTITUTE LAW ENFORCEMENT FITNESS SPECIALISTS. WE LOST A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE WHEN CAPTAIN CYBER RETIRED, BUT GIVES ME CONFIDENCE WITH THIS GUY TAKING OVER IN HIS SHOES.

HIS WORK ETHIC IS EXCEPTIONAL AND HE'S GOT A GREAT PRESENTATION PLANNED FOR YOU TODAY, AND WE'LL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. LET US KNOW. ALL RIGHT, CAPTAIN BUTLER.

CHIEF. GOOD AFTERNOON. THAT WAS A BETTER INTRODUCTION THAN I GAVE MYSELF. BUT I AM CAPTAIN BUTLER. I'M IN CHARGE OF THE TRAINING UNIT AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT AS WELL. SO BASICALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TRAINING HAS BEEN A CULTURE AT GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT, 25 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. I'VE TRAINED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I'VE WORKED AT TWO OTHER AGENCIES BEFORE. I WAS EMPLOYED HERE AS WELL. AND THERE ARE REGIONS AND CITIES THAT AREN'T AS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED AT GRAND RAPIDS, HAVING COME FROM A COUPLE AGENCIES WHO WERE DOING THE BARE MINIMUM, AND I SAW THE OUTCOME OUTCOME OF SOME OF THAT, THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE EXTRA TRAINING THAT WE RECEIVE HERE IS REALLY SECOND TO NONE REGIONALLY AND DEFINITELY WITHIN THE STATE AND REGIONALLY. SO TRAINING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG PART OF MY MY CAREER. AND I TOOK THIS POSITION HOPING TO CONTINUE THAT TREND. AS HE MENTIONED, CAPTAIN CYBER DID A GREAT JOB.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATING HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS. THE OLD ADAGE OF THAT'S HOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. EVERYTHING CHANGES, AND WHAT WORKS IN ONE JURISDICTION MIGHT NOT WORK IN ANOTHER BASED OFF OF WHAT YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT. BUT IF I WORK IN A RURAL AREA, I MAY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING VERY TACTICALLY DIFFERENT THAN YOU DO IN AN URBAN AREA. IF I'M BY MYSELF VERSUS I HAVE TEN PARTNERS TO HELP ME, A LACK OF EQUIPMENT, GEOGRAPHY, EVERYTHING AFFECTS TRAINING. SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATING, REEVALUATING WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I WANTED TO STAY PART OF THAT. SO JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE TRAINING UNIT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO FOCUS MAINLY ON THAT SIDE. I HAVE A LIEUTENANT WHO RUNS A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU MET.

LIEUTENANT DALEY DOES A FANTASTIC JOB IN THERE. AND WITH BEING IN CHARGE OF TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE HOUSE, HE TAKES CARE OF A LOT OF THAT. BUT MY UNIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE WAS ONE CAPTAIN, ONE SERGEANT AND FIVE OFFICERS WHO ARE FULL INSTRUCTOR, CADRE, FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR, CADRE. WE ALSO HAVE DOZENS OF OFFICERS WHO ARE PART TIME INSTRUCTORS IN THEIR THEIR NICHE, WHATEVER THEY ARE AN EXPERT IN, WHETHER IT'S EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATIONS, THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE OFFICER, WELLNESS, FIREARMS, DEFENSIVE TACTICS. BUT SO WE HAVE DOZENS OF OFFICERS WHO WE SEND TO GET CERTIFIED AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. BUT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF ON THE DAY TO DAY IS THE USE OF FORCE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS. THAT INCLUDES THE ANALYSIS FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS. IF THERE'S A COMPLAINT OR IF SOMETHING COMES INTO QUESTION, WHETHER IT WAS DONE WITHIN TRAINING PROTOCOLS OR WITHIN POLICY AND PROCEDURE, WE'LL GIVE OUR ANALYSIS ON THAT TO HELP CAB AT TIMES AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS GAUGE WHETHER IT WAS DONE CORRECTLY OR NOT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THAT. WE HAVE A USE OF FORCE REVIEW BOARD, AND I'LL KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER, JUST KIND OF HOW THAT WORKS. IF AN OFFICER USES FORCE IMMEDIATELY, THEY HAVE TO CALL A SUPERVISOR TO THE SCENE WHO WILL TAKE PHOTOS, CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, SPEAK TO THE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS SPEAK TO ANY WITNESSES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THAT AREA TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. THEY WILL THEN WRITE A USE OF FORCE REPORT THAT GOES TO A USE

[01:10:02]

BEFORE WE SEND YOU OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE WANT YOU TO BE ALL CAUGHT UP ON YOUR TRAININGS, ESPECIALLY THE MANDATORY ONES, MANDATORY TRAINING. THAT'S WHAT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE. WE GO WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT. LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE WE HAD 12 MANDATORY TRAINING BLOCKS COVERING VARIOUS DIFFERENT TOPICS, AND THOSE GENERALLY TAKE 2 TO 3 WEEKS EACH. SO PRETTY MUCH WE'RE TRAINING CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

MY INSTRUCTORS ARE EXTREMELY BUSY. THEY PUT IN A LOT OF EXTRA HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE STANDARD AND THEN GOING ON ABOVE AND BEYOND IT. WE TALK ABOUT INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, ADDITIONAL TRAININGS, CERTIFICATION COURSES, PEER SUPPORT OFFICER, MENTAL HEALTH, IN-HOUSE RECRUIT TRAINING IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY UNIQUE.

AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT CHRONOLOGICALLY A LITTLE BIT DOWN LATER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION. BUT WE DO EIGHT WEEKS OF ORIENTATION AFTER YOU COME BACK FROM A POLICE ACADEMY, WHICH IS EXTREMELY RARE. IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN ADVANCED POLICE ACADEMY AFTER YOU GET OUT THE GET OUT OF THE BASIC ACADEMY BECAUSE WE WANT YOU DOING DOING WHAT WE HAVE FOUND WORKS BEST FOR OUR AGENCY, NOT NECESSARILY JUST WITH THE BASIC ACADEMY TAUGHT YOU, AND IT GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE WHEN THEY GO OUT ON THE ROAD. CIVILIAN TRAININGS. THAT COVERS A LOT OF TOPICS.

WE'VE GOT THE EXPLORERS PROGRAM, YOUTH POLICE ACADEMY, CLERGY ON PATROL, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.

YOU KNOW, CAB COMES AND DOES THEIR TRAINING WHEN THEY RECEIVE. THEY HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS. SO AND THEN COMMUNITY OR I'M SORRY, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WE PROVIDE A LOT OF TRAINING, EDUCATION. AND CHIEF TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER. THAT STARTS DISCUSSION. WE CAN EDUCATE EACH OTHER, BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE. WE HAVE SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS, A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PERSPECTIVE. AND THAT'S REALLY A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO UP THERE. SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING, IF WE DO FIND SOMETHING, DOESN'T MEET THE LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE BUT ALSO DOESN'T MEET OUR STANDARD, WE HOLD SUPPLEMENTAL TRAININGS. WE'LL BRING THAT OFFICER BACK IN ON WHATEVER THE TOPIC WAS THAT WE FOUND THEY WEREN'T ACTING APPROPRIATELY, AND WE'LL RETRAIN THEM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM. AND BEFORE WE SEND THEM BACK OUT. AND THEN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING DEBRIEFS, MAKE SURE THAT WE LEARN AS MUCH FROM ALL OF THOSE AS WE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WE'VE DONE WELL, OR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER. WE HOLD THOSE DEBRIEFS AFTER EACH OF THOSE. IT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS IN 2025. WE USE 2025 BECAUSE 2026, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON FINISHING OUT THE CALENDAR YEAR. WE HAD 35,288 TRAINING HOURS LAST YEAR, 9900 FOR MISCELLANEOUS OTHER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS JUST KIND OF BREAK DOWN. I WON'T READ THEM EACH DAY, BUT THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE TRAININGS AT SPECIALIZED UNITS. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CONTINUED POLICE EDUCATION FUNDS, WHERE THEY ARE ALSO HOSTING AND SENDING PEOPLE TO OTHER TRAININGS. THIS IS JUST THE TRAINING HOURS THAT CAME THROUGH OUR OFFICE. BUT CHRONOLOGICALLY WE START AT THE POLICE ACADEMY. OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE USED GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY AND GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THEY GET NEARLY 800 HOURS OF TRAINING DURING A 17 WEEK PERIOD. AND THESE ARE NOT ALL THE TOPICS, BUT MANY OF THE TOPICS. IF YOU WANT TO READ THROUGH THOSE THAT ARE COVERED, IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE FOR THE MOST PART, TOUCHING ON ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT BECOME A GOOD POLICE OFFICER. WHETHER IT'S NOT JUST THE HARD SKILLS, BUT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS, DE-ESCALATION, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, VICTIM'S RIGHTS, JUVENILE OFFENDER AND FAMILIES, AND HOW WE SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS. SO THIS IS THE 17 WEEK ACADEMY BEFORE YOU COME BACK AND DO OUR EIGHT WEEK ORIENTATION. THIS IS WHERE WE TOUCH ON WHAT'S REALLY WORKS FOR US AND WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AND OUR CITY AS WELL. TALKING ABOUT OUR POLICIES, OUR CALEA ACCREDITATION, AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US, MEETING THE HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE STATE MINIMUM REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, GET THEM CONFIDENT WITH GEOGRAPHY. AND THEN WE DO COVER WELLNESS, CAREER SURVIVAL AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, MENTAL HEALTH CO-RESPONSE TEAM, YOU KNOW, THEY COME IN, DO A PRESENTATION BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT THERE WORKING WITH US EVERY DAY AS WELL. SO ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE EIGHT WEEKS, YOU'RE ALREADY THROUGH 25 WEEKS OF TRAINING AND NOW YOU'RE FINALLY HITTING THE ROAD. BUT AFTER YOU HIT THE STREET, THERE'S ANOTHER SIX STEPS BEFORE WE'RE ENTRUSTING YOU AS A FULL ON NON PROBATIONARY POLICE OFFICER, 16 WEEKS WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY RIDING WITH A TRAINING OFFICER. THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS IS KIND OF A CRAWL, WALK, RUN SET UP FOR THE PROGRAM. SO WE'RE ONLY ASKING THEM TO DO 10 TO 25% OF

[01:15:03]

WHAT CAN WE LOOK AT? HOW CAN WE BETTER USE THIS MONEY? IT CAN BE USED FOR SUPPLIES IF THEY'RE CONSUMABLES. EXCELLENT PROGRAM. THAT'S MADE US VERY FORTUNATE. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE HOSTED, LIKE I SAID, REGIONALLY, WE'RE WELL KNOWN FOR OUR TRAINING AND FOR OUR CULTURE OF TRAINING. SO WE DO HOST A LOT OF OUTSIDE TRAININGS AND BRING IN OTHER AGENCIES. I JUST TAUGHT ONE LAST MONTH, BROUGHT IN SOME CONSULTANTS, LEADERSHIP CONSULTANTS FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, TO RETIRED OFFICERS FROM DOWN THERE, KIND OF HAD A HOLISTIC APPROACH ON LEADERSHIP, NOT DEATH BY POWERPOINT, NOT WRITING PAPERS, BUT LET'S PUT 40 POUND RUCK ON OUR BACK, GO WALK AROUND A LAKE AND HIT THE PILLARS OF WHAT WE THINK MAKES A GOOD LEADER. IT WAS A DEEP DIVE INTO WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO TO LEAD YOURSELF? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LEAD OTHERS? WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LEAD THE ORGANIZATION? AND PEOPLE REALLY OPENED UP WERE IS WELL RECEIVED. AND I THINK IT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I WAS A YOUNG OFFICER, IT'S, WELL, YOU'RE THE BOSS, I'M THE BOSS. THEY GOT TO DO WHAT I SAY DO. WELL, TIMES CHANGE, GENERATIONS CHANGE. AND EVERYBODY OPERATES A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. SO JUST KIND OF SAYING, HEY, WELL, WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE YOU? OR A WHOLE TEN YEAR AGE GROUP OF NEW OFFICER WHO WASN'T RAISED

[01:20:03]

I KNOW THOSE COMMENTS ARE SPREAD THROUGH THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU'RE TRAINING EMPHASIS, I THINK IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR PROFESSIONALISM. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YEAH, I GUESS AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER KOGER, YOU WANTED TO TALK INSTEAD OF JIM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I ACTUALLY THAT SPURS A THOUGHT AND THAT IS LIKE, I WONDER WHAT THE NEXT HORIZON IS, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING LIKE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AMPHITHEATER TRAFFIC, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF SORT OF DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD STUFF, RIGHT? THESE AREN'T PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVE PROBLEMS, BUT THEY CAN STILL BEHAVE THEMSELVES BADLY. I SAW A COUPLE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE JUST REALLY UNHAPPY THAT THAT AREA WAS BEING MANAGED, RIGHT. THEY WANTED TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO, AND THERE WAS AN OFFICER TELLING THEM THEY COULDN'T DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU NEED TO. I MEAN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DE-ESCALATION IN YOUR WORLD, YOU'RE USUALLY TALKING ABOUT DE-ESCALATING SOMETHING A LOT MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SORT OF ONE LEVEL DOWN FROM WHAT WE MIGHT CALL DE-ESCALATION. I WONDER IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT. THAT'S JUST A RANDOM THOUGHT. BIG PART OF OUR OUR DE-ESCALATION IS GOES BACK TO BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS WELL. EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A CHOICE. EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW THE WHAT'S AND THE WHYS. THESE THINGS AREN'T SECRETS. SO TELL THEM, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

MAYBE THEY'RE NOT SEEING SOMETHING THAT. SO THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF WHY THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT TAKING THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THEY WANT A LITTLE BIT OF SYMPATHY AND EMPATHY.

THEY WANT TO KNOW THE WHAT'S AND THE WHYS AND JUST TEACHING PEOPLE THAT OUR OFFICERS, HEY, YOU A BETTER COMMUNICATOR? YEAH. THIS IS THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S NOT A SECRET. SO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. YEAH. I OFTEN SAY I THINK MOST OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS ARE BECAUSE OF NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION, RIGHT? HARDLY EVER. IS IT TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH COMMUNICATION, SIR.

COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I CONCUR. AND I JUST ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS CONSTANTLY THE COMMITTEE THAT I SHARE WITH PEOPLE TO ONCE AGAIN GET A BIGGER, MORE BROAD PICTURE. AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE THE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE AND A GOOD SIGN OF ANY PROFESSIONAL THAT YOU'RE CONTINUED TO BE REALLY, REALLY UP TO TASK TO STAY UPDATED ON ALL OF THIS. ANOTHER ONE THAT WASN'T INCLUDED THAT THE CHIEF AND I TOOK PART IN WAS THE LGBTQ PLUS TRAINING AS WELL. AND LUNCH AND LEARN. YEAH, THAT WAS YEAH, THAT WAS REALLY GREAT. LUNCH AND LEARN AND ROOM FULL OF DOZENS OF FOLKS ON THE TEAM AND OFFICERS. SO THAT WAS AWESOME TO SEE. AND ALSO AMAZING TO SEE THE CHIEF OF POLICE THERE. THAT WAS REALLY COOL. AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY, I THINK EITHER RIGHT AS YOUR TENURE WAS STARTING OR A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THAT WAS MY THIRD ONE. YEAH. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL. SO THAT WAS GREAT. AND THEN IN ADDITION, I WANTED TO. OH, AND THEN FOLLOW UP FROM THAT, THE LGBTQ+ LIAISON, WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS THAT GRAND RAPIDS HAS. THAT'S AWESOME. AND ONCE AGAIN, HELPS A

[01:25:05]

YEAH. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WONDER IF THERE'S EVEN MORE WE CAN DO WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SOME THERE'S SOME NUANCE THERE. SURE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING. AND WE KNOW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACROSS THE BOARD IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HELP IN COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND YEAH, THIS WAS GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

CAPTAIN BUTLER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATION. YOU GAVE SOME GREAT DETAILS, AND I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T PAUSE AT ON YOUR SLIDES THAT I THINK IS RELEVANT, ESPECIALLY AS A RESIDENT MEMBER OF THIS BODY, AS WE CONTINUE TO TRY AND INFORM AND UNDERSTAND THE POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU NOTED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT 30 TO 40% OF THE RECRUITS DON'T MAKE IT TO SOLO PATROL. YES, SIR.

AND I THINK AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE IS WITNESSING WHAT FEELS LIKE AT TIMES FROM WHAT WE SEE OUT IN THE MEDIA AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME FEDERAL OFFICERS WHO ARE ARMED ON A WHIM. WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS TRUE AT THIS TIME, I THINK IT DOES HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HOW PEOPLE SEE PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, AND FOR OUR PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS TRAINING HAPPENING, BUT IT'S ALSO FILTERING OUT THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T RISE TO THE STANDARDS OF GRAND RAPIDS PD. THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE, SO THAT WHEN THEY SEE PEOPLE OUT AT THE NO KINGS RALLY, WHEN THEY SEE PEOPLE AT CALDER PLAZA FOR AN EVENT, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THE GRADE, WHO HAVE GOTTEN THE TRAINING, AND IT JUST NEEDS TO BE SAID MORE BLATANTLY, I THINK, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE, SO THAT WE'RE WE'RE LETTING THEM KNOW THAT IT IS THE BEST OF YOUR CORE POTENTIAL OFFICERS THAT MAKE IT TO PATROL. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND POINT IT OUT FROM YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE THAT. YES. I JUST HAD A QUESTION, A COUPLE QUESTIONS REAL QUICKLY. YES.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW FREQUENT ARE THE USE OF FORCE BEING REVIEWED BY THIS PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, TEAM OR WHAT HAVE YOU THAT'S ESTABLISHED? AND THEN SECONDLY, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCIDENCES WHERE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST STRIKES AND OTHER THINGS. SURE. SO HOW OFTEN ARE THOSE THINGS BEING, YOU KNOW, REVIEWED AS WELL AS. IF THE COMMUNITY CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NUMEROUS TRAININGS, I'M SURE THAT THEY'D BE WILLING TO GET INVOLVED OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S I MEAN, I LOVE THE HOURS. I LOVE TO SEE THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE WITH THIS ELECTION PROCESS THAT'S TAKING PLACE TO SAFEGUARD THE THAT THAT CAPACITY AS WELL? SO WITH YOUR FIRST QUESTION, EVERY SINGLE USE OF FORCE IS REVIEWED ON THE ON A DAILY BY STARTING WITH THE SERGEANT, GOING TO THAT USE OF FORCE REVIEW BOARD, IT HAS TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF THREE PEOPLE PUT EYES ON THAT REPORT, REVIEW THE USE OF FORCE REPORT BEFORE IT THEN COMES TO MY UNIT. WE GO BACK THROUGH IT AGAIN AND SAY THIS WAS JUSTIFIED AND WITHIN POLICY AND TRAINING PROTOCOLS. SO IT'S DAILY AND FIVE PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT THAT BEFORE IT'S EVER APPROVED OR DEEMED JUSTIFIED. AND WITHIN POLICY, IF THAT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

YES, SINCE YOU'RE SAYING DAILY, DAILY, ABSOLUTELY. EVERY AND MY OFFICE, EVEN PEOPLE NOT ON THE USE OF FORCE REVIEW BOARD. I HAVE SOMEBODY DEDICATED TO DEFENSIVE TACTICS. THEY'RE WATCHING VIDEOS AND READING REPORTS AS WELL. IT'S CONSTANT. OKAY. AND THEN SORRY, THE SECOND QUESTION. SECOND WAS CENTERED AROUND MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE TRAINING. YOU KNOW, THAT'S OPEN TO EVERYBODY.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE CAPACITY OF IS THERE ANY STEPS BEING TAKEN TO TRY TO PROTECT THE ELECTORAL CAPACITY OF WHAT'S TRANSPIRED OVER THE NEXT WEEK? YEAH. SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

[01:30:01]

YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, BUT IT'S ALSO MEDICAL, IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL, IT'S VERY OTHER THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE ALL FOUR SEASONS, YOU KNOW, IN ONE DAY IN NOVEMBER IN MICHIGAN. AND HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR THAT? SO WE'RE IN A VIRTUAL EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER RIGHT NOW. THROUGH THIS ELECTION TIME, WE'LL WE'LL HAVE A LIGHT IN PERSON EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER ON ELECTION DAY. SO WE CAN FEED THAT INFORMATION WHERE I'M FEEDING STUFF IN FROM CLARK WORLD. PHIL AND SARAH WILL BE SENDING IT IN FROM ATTORNEY WORLD, AND THEY'LL BE SENDING IT FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE IN THE COUNTRY. WHAT WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, THE TALK OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND MONITORS WE FILL. SARAH AND I MET WITH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE YESTERDAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE FROM THEM. AND WE'VE HAD THEM HERE IN THE CITY EVERY ELECTION THAT I'VE BEEN HERE AND PROBABLY BEFORE I WAS HERE AS WELL. AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LET US KNOW BY THE THE WEEK HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY'RE SENDING OUT AND WHAT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN GRAND RAPIDS. SO WE'RE HAVING THESE POSITIVE DIALOGS. SO WE ARE PREPARED. ALSO IN MY ELECTION TRAINING, I, I ADDED A WHOLE SLIDE FOR THIS WHOLE ELECTION CYCLE ON SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. JUST BEING AWARE OF WHAT OF WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHO'S OUTSIDE, WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE AND JUST MAKING SURE THEY'RE AWARE. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. THANKS, JOEL. OKAY. WE'RE A LITTLE PAST TWO, BUT NOT TERMINALLY. SO THANK YOU

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.