Today is August, 29 2024 3pm the board of police commission is called to order at this time. We don't have a quorum. Look like they're coming in and but we will go to the secretary, report pending us getting a quorum
to the chair, the report from the board secretary can be found under tabs nine and 11, and there is no action to be had this afternoon. The announcements for today are, the next meeting is, Thursday, September 5, 3pm here at Detroit Public Safety headquarters, and the next community meeting is on Thursday, September 12, at 6:30pm fourth present at Kennedy Recreation Center, which is located At 2260, South Fourth Street in Detroit, 48217,
okay, well,
I also want to, I should have did this ahead of time to welcome our new board secretary. We went through a lengthy process to bring her on. She is very, very skilled. She's Hit, hit the ground running, started, started this past Monday, on the 26th and really, really appreciate her insight and her her background is stellar, and we deeply appreciate you coming on. And I'm going to give you opportunity to say some remarks before you know if any other commissioners want commissioners want to chime in, but thank you for taking this challenge on and standing with us to be able to serve the citizens of the city of Detroit.
Thank you. I want to say to each board member and to the entire board, the department, police department, the entire staff. The week has been great, busy, of course, and to the community we are here to serve and support. So call on us at any time. We are ready and available to assist you in any way that we can within the parameters of the jurisdiction of the board. It's a pleasure and an honor to be a part of the team of the leadership team for the city of Detroit. Thank you, sir. Absolutely.
Any board members have any comments?
Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman, I just want to welcome you on board, and I'm looking forward to working with you. But as you might not know, we have more staff for the board in the history of this organization. I would looking forward to a detailed report in terms of their functioning duties and obligation to the board, because this is brand new staff in terms of their responsibility is enhanced. So I just want to have the board to be enlightened in terms of the process. Thank you once once again, welcome board.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. I also want to just welcome you on board. We did. I participated in a couple of the interviews, but I did see the resumes, and your resume was very, very exemplary. And so we wish you a lot of luck. I do wish you a lot of luck, and we're here to work with you, directly with you. So please let us know how we can help. Thank you.
All right, and I haven't, haven't said that. I want to go to start our public comment on and give our other commissioners the opportunity to come on in and so, oh, excuse me, we can, then we can have a prayer. They
have. Michael
Dotto, yes, sir, okay, yes,
good and gracious God. We thank you for this day, and we give you all Glory and Praise to you, oh Lord, as we come together as a people serving the citizens in the great city of Detroit. We thank you for this commission. We ask your wisdom upon them that they may be the good and represent good and faith representatives of the citizens to the best police force that this nation has the Detroit Police Department. We ask protection upon all the members of the DPD and the members of this commission, may the meeting be conducted in order may your wisdom flow through them. And at the conclusion this meeting, I ask for prayers of safe travel home for all those that are here and in your homes. I pray that Lord, you give them peace, rest, joy and love in your most holy name, we pray. Amen. Amen.
Yup. Alright, public comment until Commissioner Burton come back. Then we'll have a call.
We'll start with MINISTER Well,
he's He's here now,
all right, so
we can do the introductions of commissioners. Yeah,
roll call. Darrell woods, Chair present
tomorrow. Smith, Linda Bernard, Attorney Linda Bernard, District Two, present.
I apologize, yes, ma'am. Cedric banks present. Commissioner Bell Willie Bell
person, District Four,
Commissioner Willie burden present on
the behalf of
district five. Right, right, right, my path. Okay.
Commissioner Carter requested excuse to be excused. Commissioner Moore also asked permission to be excused. Commissioner Hernandez, Commissioner Presley and Commissioner the wash present
I Okay,
so we do you do have a quorum? Yep, all right,
I move I entertain a motion for the approval of August, 29 2024, agenda,
so moved,
motion made by Commissioner Bernard port, second by Commissioner banks, all in favor. Say, aye, aye. Anyone opposed the motion is carried. I entertain a motion for the approval of the minutes of August 20, 2220 24 so moved, moved by Commissioner Bernard, or supported by Commissioner banks, all in favor. Say, aye, aye. The motion is passed, introduction of bl, PC staff, Chief of Police and elected officials and representatives.
Staff present this afternoon are Mr. Robert Brown, Miss Johnny Underwood, Miss Teresa blossom, Miss art Nisha Joshua, Miss Mary Barber, Jasmine Taylor, Mr. Fries, acting supervising investigator Elgin Murphy, supervising investigator Ainsley Cromwell. Our ASL interpreters are Ms chicata and Dr Stephanie Beatty, court reporter, Don Handyside, Sergeant Quinn for audio visual, and Charles Henry, our media services video, as well as Dante class attorney.
All right, thank you. And so we're going to go to the Chief, chief of police report,
good afternoon, honorable board. Here just give a couple quick updates. As of right now, we have no critically injured officers due to any on duty injuries, which is fantastic. Our crime is that we continue to trend in the right direction. We're looking at a 22% reduction in homicides, 141 this year versus 180 for the same time last year. Our non fatal shootings are down 24% as of this morning. That's 438 this year versus 576 last year. Excuse me, the robberies again continue to trend down there. 24% reduction. 733 this year versus 964, last year, which gives us an overall reduction in part one violent crime of 11% over the same time last year. Carjackings continue to trend down. We're down 34% 75 versus 114, last year again, we are no ways boasting or bragging about that, because 121, is one too many for any one of these categories. Our drifting, drag racing illegal Block Party is just going off rather nicely lot of folks, and they're really focusing on stopping the illegal parties, the street shutdown parties. We want to emphasize we are not trying to shut down someone back door, a backyard barbecue, none of that stuff. So quite a few weapons have been recovered. The past weekend, we took another couple weapons out of a block party that could have prevented further harm to our citizens. Mental Health runs related calls for service. Again, just in the last seven days, calls for service, we've had a grand total of 33 we've serviced 290, of them. Overdose related issues are still responding to a lot of those as well. The last seven days, there were 223 calls for service for overdose, and we had serviced 162 of those have just a couple of quick, significant incidents that happened over the last week. On Sunday, August 25 at about 2:18am officers were dispatched out to Oakwood hospital to investigate a fatal shooting our subject or our victim, excuse me, showed up at the emergency room and he was deceased upon arrival. What happened is, we work back to the investigation and realize in the 7100 block of St John in the Fourth Precinct, there was a fight that occurred at a bar where one person pulled out a gun instead of his fists, and fatally shot this young man. We are looking for a red, unknown maker model sedan, so we really need the community's help on this one. You can contact Crime Stoppers at 100 speak up or Detroit Ward TV. The second incident I have was a another fatal shooting 5100 block of tireman on August 27 this is going to turn out to be a boyfriend, girlfriend, ex boyfriend scenario where the old boyfriend came to the house, the new boyfriend is there. They both exchanged gunfire at each other. Unfortunately, our victim got the worst of that. So any information that anyone can provide, any witnesses to anything, if they could please, it would help strengthen our case. Once again, they can call win and hurt, speak up, or Detroit rewards TV, just a couple of quick positives. This Tuesday, we celebrated our 1,000th business partner for Operation Green Light. Actually, as of this morning, we're at 1009 which has just been a huge, huge help and benefit to the city. You can see the carjacking numbers have gone down drastically over the years since we've installed it, robberies at gas stations party store. So we're very excited about that. Tomorrow morning, the Detroit Tigers will be visiting the Fourth Precinct in recognition of tigers first responders night. So that's going to be excited for the folks at the Fourth Precinct. And then lastly, tomorrow we have a coffee and cake for Sergeant Lance Sullivan, who is leaving after 2127 excuse me, years of service. He has worked at homicide for more years than I can count. He's also worked at Violent Crime Task Force with the FBI, so we are going to miss Lance quite a bit. So that's all I have, sir. Pending. Any questions? Yeah,
let the record reflect that. Commissioner Hernandez, Commissioner president, Commissioner Smith, our president. Any questions? Commissioner the wash,
thank you, Mr. Chair, yes, I just have a question with regard to the staffing report. It says here that mental health and POS, we have budgeted 14 positions, and none of them have been filled. Is there a reason for that? And maybe, what is the process that officers become? NPO, I mean, mental health. NPOs,
yes, ma'am. And through the chair, it was an add on to our July one budget, so they will be filled rather quickly as we get more people out of the academy class, which helps us, because you've got classes graduating every month, we'll be able to fill those positions. Same with transit. If you see it on there, we send over a few to transit to get them going, and we'll fill as we get more out of the academy.
And then, can you tell me what the process is like? Who do you identify of the officers to be this type of an officer? Yeah,
it'll go through each individual precinct, some of the folks that are over at the CIT unit now, they'll be identified to become an NPO, because NPO is a little increase in their pay, and they have to show that they have the requisite criteria to build a role. So it'll be up to the command officers at all the different precincts in different units. So
I'm sorry, just one more quick question, so an officer would apply for that position if they have the criteria, the education or the training. Yes,
ma'am, the jobs will be posted, and they'll have enough on a time opportunity to put in for
it. Okay? Thank you. Thank you Mr. Chair.
Thank you Commissioner Bill and thank
you system, Chief, there was a lengthy article. Maybe some of us took time to read it concerning cold cases. And I assume that you aware of that. I know that individuals have come to this body complaining about the lack of service on cold cases. So I think it's a misunderstanding in terms of how we operate. I think we perhaps need to update from Homicide. I know homicide is one of the hardest working unit in the DPD and in this country in terms of homicide and shooting, so I think it's sort of unfair to help comments without knowing how cold cases work in terms of our interaction, as the chief stated, he will look into that. But as we all know, they are extremely busy around the clock in terms of their demand on their job, and trying to work those cases up is a tremendous task to stay in contact. And I know, personally, I have had family members who have been murdered, and there's no closure, but I saw a monitor over the period of time, and they understand that without cooperation witness, we don't make a case on like TV series, so it's hard work, and we need people come forward in reference to know something, say something and report it. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you. Through the Chair, I would suggest we have the unit come in and do a presentation for you, because we haven't made a lot of changes. Chief white, through his leadership, he's added capacity to the unit, and you're absolutely right. If you go back years and years, and on a good year, you closed 50% of the cases, so 50% are still left open. So those cases start to just pile up and pile up and for a while, or we had very few people working cold case specifically. So we do have a new unit. We have a whole new process we'd love to share with you. So I would suggest we haven't come into a presentation for the whole board.
We've been in communication with the commander, as well as the new captain. Captain thurgo talked to him yesterday. You know, there has been problems with communication with citizens, and as we bring that to the attention, to to the chief and to the department, you know those situations are being corrected. And I know it's a marathon and not a sprint in this situation, but we will be aligned to say it have not been any problems. It has been problems with communication with certain victims, and they have come into this meeting, and thanks to second deputy chief hope and others to be able to help some of these families who have been, you know, lost through the cracks. You know, you know, sometimes you know things happen. You know. So I'm pleased with the new procedure and practice that you have in terms of far as making sure that the communication is more robust and is written in policy on how they need to communicate. And so we do look forward to having them come to present, because the citizens of the city of Detroit who are victimized by violence deserve to have communication, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and we, we demand that as a board and the community, to demand that of us and of the department any other questions or comments. Commissioner Bernardin,
thank you. I just want to make the public aware of a few things that the department has notified officers about. Number one, they're requesting volunteers to be engaged with youth in schools. And if any of you have children in high school or even grade school, there are two programs the department has initiated in schools called The Sisterhood program and the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood no boundaries program, the sisterhood no boundaries program, so any of your children or kids that you know can become engaged with these two programs. They're being headed by Deputy Chief Ewing and Tanya Leonard, the captain for workers, workplace and community resiliency, but the item that was most important, and of course, there's a 5k walk at the DMC, and I think you probably have flyers about that at the desk right there. $35 to participate. I've participated before. You get a lot of stuff for the $35 and it's really very engaging in any event. But I wanted to note in particular was a roll call training initiative that says it's very specific for our community about arrest, and it says Roll Call turn down that's relevant the purpose of the department Arrest policy is to provide guidelines and procedures for officers of the Detroit Police Department in making lawful arrests the detention of material witnesses, to provide supervisory review of arrests for probable cause and to provide for prompt judicial review arrests short of the application of force, an arrest is the most serious action an officer can undertake. An arrest can cause repercussions throughout a person's life, even if eventually found not guilty or never brought to trial. The most important legal questions facing an officer at the moment of arrest is the existence of probable cause, not reasonable suspicion. It's probable cause a higher standard.
So is any further question or comments to the Mr. Chairman that
the community has a right to know this? Please, please let me continue. Please let me continue without probable cause. The arrest is in the box, in your binder. Without probable cause, the arrest is illegal, and the evidence of criminality that was obtained because of the arrest is inadmissible. It is the policy of DPD, one, that no person shall be arrested with less than probable cause having been established at the time of the arrest. Two, that a DPD supervisor shall review every arrest and in all instances in which a probable cause determination is made, documents, same on the incident report three, that for all arrests unsupported by probable cause, the review of arrest exception form, UF, 001, shall be completed within 12 hours of the event. Four that for every arrestee, a warrant request for arraignment on the arrest shall be submitted to the prosecutor's office within 48 hours of arrest. Okay? There's just two more. Mr. Chairman, this is the people have a right to know what under
what we are under the chief of police. Reporters, excuse me, the question, either you had a question or comment with the chief, or you could have brought that on a new have to go, According to Robert Roose order, you know. And so I was very, very patient with you, you know, but it's out of order right now.
Mr. Chairman, respectfully I disagree. This is part of the police department's actual review. I'm referring for the community will know what was what the police in this we
will want them to know. But is either you have a question or comment to the chief or not. No you could have brought it through new business, you know, or, you know, comment
on it while I'm talking about it.
So address it as a question to him. Then, all right, so that we could be in order. There's
six, I will be happy to do that. The fifth thing is that in every instance in which an exception of this is, departments, is, is departments prompt judicial review policy occurs. The exception shall be documented on the ward tracking whole form. The last comment, the last aspect of this Deputy Chief, is that all all arrests in which an arraignment warrant was not sought, the warrant tracking. Whole form shall be completed within 12 hours. This is currently a policy. Yes, ma'am, also all officers have been informed of this at the meetings of daily review that you have every day with officers
through the Chair. Yes, ma'am, one of the reasons the teletype has been issued is that risk management through the chief has been issued with giving a task to put out teletypes every week on things that are important to the department. And this is one of the most recent
ones, no arrests without probable cause, and it has to be documented. Yes, ma'am, okay. Thank you.
Thank you. Commissioner Smith, Commissioner banks. Was it banks first?
However you want to do it, how you want to grow,
go ahead, go ahead, and then we go, thanks. Okay, thank
you. Thank
you. Through the Chair AC, I was contacted earlier by the community asking about the amount of shootings that has occurred this summer with our youth. In particular, we have 46 minors that were shot under the age of 18, and seven fatalities. So they're asking me, Is there an uptick in the shootings of the children of our community, the youth? And just being very concerned, and I didn't want to speak on it, because I figured that you would know better than me through the chair,
anecdotally, I would say it's going down. I think we're have fewer this year. But I can get you a hard number, get you a hard number, but just in the last week and a half, we've had a six year old shot inside of their home and an eight year old shot inside their home. I think that has the community should be outraged by that, and I,
those were drive by shooting school. Yeah, there's
just like reason and justification. Can
you speak into Mike for us at course. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah,
there's just absolutely no reason and justification for anything like that. For an eight year old or six year old in their own home to be shot we've had, I could just do a quick search, just just for the last week, 116 year old, a 14 year old that was playing with a gun. 16 year old, we believe, was messing around with the gun. We still have to prove it. He, he claimed he was climbing the ladder and fell off when he got to the hospital with his parents. He had a bullet hole in his leg. So we're still working through that as well, so we do have a lot of those as well. But other than that, the other two are the ones that stand out, the eight year old and six year old, least for the last week and a half. Okay,
thank you certainly.
Commissioner banks.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, yes. Assistant Chief Fitzgerald, why is the homicide Task Force investigating the Sherman Lee Butler shooting. Why is a homicide invest in that? I mean investigating that
through the chair, we have a Michigan State police task force that we participate in, and that's the homicide task force. So because it's a there were some Detroit officers present at the scene, it goes under the leadership of MSP, who would investigate the matter. We do it opposite. If MSP were to shoot someone, Detroit would be the lead. And the opposite is, in fact, the case. If it's a Detroit involved situation,
I'm all set. Okay. Oh, cheer Yes, sir,
Commissioner press, thank
you. To the chair. I'll attempt to be brief. I just wanted to, I sent a letter to the chief, but wanted to express this publicly my accommodations for Captain Cedric Dunbar, who did an amazing job a couple of weeks ago at our rocking the block back to school rally. I mean, he really was over and beyond Call of Duty, helping us roll out tables, taking up the trash, and we had a loose dog that showed up on the scene, and he handled that as well. And so again, as we are critical, rightfully so, in oversight of police department. Again, I just wanted to state my accommodations for Captain Cedric Dunbar. If you can share that with the
chief to the chair, I certainly will. Thank you so much. Thank you. Yep,
yeah. And as it relates to the Sherman Lee Butler incident, the chief did release a press release, right? Yes, sir, yep. And that can be found where
you can go to our own social media site. It should be on there as well. And I'm sure it's a lot of the media sites as well,
absolutely. And then Chief Judge mechanical from 36 district released a press release as well. Right? I have not seen his, yeah, but he did, and so we encourage the community to check out those press releases from the chief as well as the chief judge. Anything further? No, sir.
The chair, yes, sir.
Question chief, how you doing?
Good sir. How
are you? On the behalf of many Detroiters, I'm bringing their concerns here today we like to know is the department will be investigating whether retired detective Barbara Simon has committed crimes while working for DPD a number of honorees, has said She's routinely committed perjury illegally detained witnesses and suspects
and
and this has all been documented, but she had, have not been held accountable. And so we like to know is your office or looking into this or not to investigate further?
And through the Chair, I have no detectives, yeah, I have not seen any of these complaints or allegations, anything that was lodged through to the Wayne County prosecutor's office. They have their, their section, Conviction Integrity Unit that looks into these things. So it might be a better question asked over there, but
your office could also look into this. And she was employer DPD just, you know, and as well as you know, whether or not she committed these crimes while she was working for DPD
and through the Chair, if those allegations were brought forward to us, yes, but they have not been okay.
And my final question at this time, but maybe more questions later, when it comes to the gigolo Brady list, there was about 100 officers names, approximately that was on that list. How many of them are currently with the department now? And have any of those officers got promoted since that list came out? As well as have there been any disciplinary from the department regarding those, regarding those officers, that name was on the list at the department brought any disciplinary
and through the chair, the Detroit Police Department does not have a list for Giglio Brady impaired individuals. The only list that we've seen is through the Wayne County prosecutor's office. And I don't know what, when the last time was updated, and I have not seen that in a few years,
but you have seen the list a few years ago, and those office, there was about 100 officers that cannot testify in court. Is that correct? I don't recall any of the names at this point. Okay, so we like to know, from the community standpoint. Like to know is any of those, those 100 names that was on that list, or any of them currently working with the department, had there's been any discipline since that list report, and have any of those offices has been promoted since that list or not,
and through the Chair, I would just request that you can put that in writing through the chair so we can get it so it's on the record, detailed, instead of me writing and going back, no
offense, Chief, but this is a public meeting, and the meeting is documented, is recorded, so therefore this is official record. And my policies to you, but this is official record. So therefore you have it. You have your staff here, and they heard the questions, and we have a new secretary to the board that's here as well. So you have the questions,
but I'm just confused by, are you asking for this, or is the board asking for it? Because there's
a community, the community has raised these concerns, brought these concerns to me, and I'm raising them on behalf of Detroiters. Okay,
they're more than happy to answer that question once I get in writing.
Okay? Any further questions? One more. Sure. When Mr. Chair Okay through the chair, Assistant Chief Cheryl, the call the Detroit Police Department on the shooting. When DPD got there, DPD began to tase the the individual, but the changes wouldn't take him down. I don't know if they malfunction or what, but then the bailiff shot the man. Now, why didn't he submit the DPD? DPD is on the scene. Why didn't he allow DPD to handle that situation? Because they came in this. DPD, you're a bailiff. Good question. Submit to DPD, you're a bailiff. I mean, what? Let me hear a little feedback, Assistant Chief, that you may know. Well, yeah, I
do, unfortunately, through the chair, sir, I can't answer that open and active investigation. I can't get into the intimate I'm
sorry, but you understand what I'm talking
about. Yes, sir, thank you.
No further questions. No further questions. You can move to the next item on you. Deputy
Chief Fitzgerald, Assistant Chief, Assistant Chief, it might be a good idea for the for the department, to perhaps come back to us with a proposal on what happens when police come to the scene of an eviction that the bailiff, who is an armed person, he has a legal CCW, I got that part, but they have to stand down, in my opinion, when you get there, until you decide you know what's going on and what to do. But he's a bail, if it's not equal to you. And a bail doesn't have any of the protections, obviously, or knowledge, quite frankly, that you have, all they have is a CCW, and they go, they serve process and knock on doors. I got that part, but I think, I think your question, Commissioner banks, is well taken. I do think the policy department should come back to us with something on that so this can never happen again
through the chair. Is the policy Detroit Police Department.
We don't participate in evictions. I know that. We are only there to keep the peace. All we are to do. without getting into too much the details this thing escalated quickly, and that's about all I can say on it a at this point. So it wasn't our intent to go there and assist with the eviction or do anything with the eviction itself. It was to keep the peace. And I'll leave that there. At
this point, there's investigation. This investigation haven't went been submitted to the Wayne County prosecutor yet. It is my understanding that it has. So it's pending in Wayne County prosecutor for a decision on what to do with the case. Right? All right, and so, all right, yes, sir.
One more quick one through the chair, Assistant Chief is DPD, in the near future, looking to file some charges on the bailiff or the court system. Because he worked for the court system, are they looking to file some type of charges? Or you can't put that out there yet, or you don't know through
the chair, the warrant request has already been sent over to the Wayne County prosecutor office.
So we is in the prosecutor office right now. They cannot speak on this and get ahead of the prosecutor and so until an announcement is made from that office, you know they, or the chief judge has put in a statement to the public that they cannot get in front of this investigation, you know? And so that's where we at right now, and we look forward when all this, this thing, this thing, is fully resolved, and that the video could be released to the public, because we'll be asking for the video to and we have asked for the video to be released to the public, and once this investigation is completed, then that that can happen. All right, yes, Sergeant, yes,
sir. After the last recommendation for lieutenant, Sergeant detectives, we had one of the members decline their promotion to the rank of sergeant. I'm okay with that. I'd rather have him do it now before until he's made and all that stuff, and he decides not to do it. So with that, Chief White has proudly recommending to promote to the rank of sergeant. Detective. Janelle white,
that's all right,
you'd like to speak about him.
He is a fantastic detective. He has spent a good majority of his time in the investigative realm of our department. His last assignment has been homicide. He is a well known homicide detective across the city and with our department, other departments, I think he would be an outstanding candidate for Sergeant. What
is the pleasure of the board? So
moved
second motion made by Commissioner Bernard, Who seconded Commissioner Hernandez, all say, aye, aye. Or should I ask any discussion
here? Right here, yeah, Assistant, did we get a spreadsheet on? We didn't get a spreadsheet on that. Did we this? We did, okay,
all right. And yes, it's in a folder, and it was also sent out through the email as well. Okay? And what I would say is that I did see this Sergeant yesterday, not or this proposed person to be Sergeant yesterday in a community setting, and how he worked with a mother who had been victimized by homicide. I praised him there, you know, and said that this guy was stellar. The way he connected with that mother was absolutely amazing. And he talked about some of the things that he went through, and the mother had aces unresolved, and she was very, very happy to connect with this particular person. And I didn't realize this was the name until today, and Commissioner Smith was there as well. And so I say based upon that, I'm very good with it. So all in favor say, Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Eyes? Have it? You have it excellent.
Thank you. Yeah. The next is oral communications.
So we're going to start with Minister Eric blunt, Miss Shanita Williams, Mr. Jackie hunt,
good afternoon board, good afternoon. I'm minister Eric blount, from Sacred Heart, Catholic church right here in Detroit. Let me walk you through this. At 130 this morning, there was a drive by shooting. By noon, the news broadcast was in front of the house. Video recording the front of the house. The number of the house was redacted. Why do I say this?
I will never stop demanding that video be released within a day. If a little news agency can have a redacted report, then why can't this $400 million police department?
It doesn't take 45 days. It doesn't take 21 days, and in fact, you did it with Hakeem Littleton the same day. So please do not fall for this false narrative about how long it takes the police department
and recall when there's a crime, they come to us residents saying, Hey, give us the footage from your ring video camera, doorbell camera, okay, you want it in 45 days, or maybe we should wait three years before we give it to you. But no, we give it to you right away. So this whole Wait a while, wait 45 days, is just totally ridiculous. And yes, it applies to Sherman Lee Butler,
if you want us to trust you, if you want us to respect you, if you want integrity, if you want to claim transparency, then just release the type of information that could help this city understand what happened to Sherman Lee Butler. Your officers were there. Release it.
help the situation. But this 21 days, 45 days a week, whatever it is, I see my time is up next,
Mr. Chairman, just while you're waiting for the next person, do you want to respond to his question with the memo that the chief gave us on it.
It's on the website as well as on our website.
It's okay, there's a memo on it. Yeah,
that's why I was talking about the press release that he put out dated August 22 Yep, thank you. Yes, you may be heard.
It's an undercover officer in my shelter. I went to eternal affairs, and once again, turn of affairs lied to me in my face. I am so disappointed in this system. How can I respect anything to come out of anybody's mouth? I've been coming here a year and a half, so someone's telling me I have undercover officers in this shelter, but don't. Nobody can confirm to it. But once again, this undercover officer threatened me with his Draco. His name is Frank, and I believe he works there at the headquarters. This is not acceptable. I made plenty of reports. Matter of fact, I made a report yesterday at OCI. When I left out of there, I was at the bus stop, a man tried to jump on me. I am so tired of my life being in danger because police officers do not respect they all it's a problem. I had just left OCI, and I got to be concerned about my well being when I'm out here on the bus and I ride it part, I see my car that they impound and two detectives was stalking me in my old car
illegally. This
is so unbelievable. You all covered up my way. Covered up the fact that as officers in this shelter, and matter of fact, he was an officer a few weeks ago who got a promotion that's in this shelter, it's unfreaking believable. If you do not respect your off. You don't need to be here because if I went to court and lied to the judge, I'm going to be held accountable. If I lied to the police to make a false report, I'm going to be held accountable. It's my fault for lying. So at this point in time, if you all do not want to do your job correctly, you don't need to be sitting on this board, none of these boards, because at this point in time, I'm frustrated, and when you and they violate my Civil Rights and my life is not acceptable
next you.
To the Chair. Thank you for the time that you have given me. I want to bring up that an article came to me regarding, the mayor's agenda on towing cars, an article said that over 8000 vehicles have been towed from poor people. Now I'm wondering they tried three times to tow mine. So mine was abandoned in front of my house is that, can that be possible? But three times? Mine was told three tried to be told, three times the three stickers. So now I'm wondering. I see motivation here. I see billboards with up to $91,000 that officers can make truly. These are not the officers from the 60s and 70s, and when they came here to be promoted, they thank you, and they say they wouldn't let you down. But I didn't hear anything about the citizens where they live. Some live and some don't. They totally ignored us. Are they going to respect us? That's a lot of money, I suppose, for the city and these toll companies, District Two, was it 10,000 tickets they wrote? Or is it 10, 10,000 to 20,000 tickets? But somebody has motivated these officers. Do they even care about the poor where they live? Are they bribed with this $91,000 or from what fit the new range is 51, to 91,000, are they bribed? Have they turned their backs on the citizens? Just a thought. Thank you for my time.
Thank you next,
the next speakers will be Lieutenant Mark young, Miss Padilla Butler and Miss Michelle George, good evening.
Good evening.
You don't have to look far, and I mean that to see what we face every day. Crime starts down, outstanding. I don't hear enough applause about that. It don't happen by itself. It happens because men and women take sacrifice. It's not about what they make every day. It's about who they are and how they step up. I don't hear enough about that. Accusations are loud, apologies are weak and often silent. There were three law enforcement officers killed in this community, in this region recently, crickets. What I did here during the three law enforcement officers was some more support from their communities. We are no less than anybody else. We have more fallen than anybody in this region. We must do better to support our people. You hear people criticize the Detroit Police Department all the time, and unfortunately, some might be warranted. But what you don't hear is the praise. I can live with criticism if you're willing to stand up and call it ball of ball and a strike, a strike. We face unprecedented challenges every day, and I am proud of the people that are representing my colleagues. If you're not, if you're willing to be one sided, then you're biased and prejudiced. Speak up. Step up. Call it, right or don't call it. And I will continue to call out those. I am honored to be a member of this community. I live in this city. I'm honored to be on this police department. Let's get it right together.
Thank you.
And before you, before you speak, my colleague wanted you, Assistant Chief, to speak about the towing process and how that works.
Yeah, and through the Chair, I think the key word that was stated there is that his abandoned vehicle was in front of his house. We're not going to leave abandoned vehicles on the streets, in the yards, and there are city ordinances that we follow. We tag the car, we give the owners ample time to remove the vehicle. But we're unapologetic about getting rid of the abandoned vehicles, abandoned boats, abandoned campers across the city. And we're, we're going to continue. We've actually set a metric. We need to it's something that we look at every week. When we every two weeks, we go to comp set, we look at those kind of things, and it's to make sure that we're doing everything we can to make sure this the city is safe and they don't have to see boats and campers and those things in the middle of the street and backyard and backyards that have five six cars that just been sitting back there, and rodents are climbing all through it. We've a lot of complaints, a lot of complaints about abandoned vehicles.
Okay. Thank you. Certainly
Good afternoon last Thursday, after leaving leaving the board of police commissioners meeting, I went in the area of Wayne State University to locate an address I had agreed to meet a young man whom I had volunteered to help register students Saturday, August 24 the campus has made big changes since I attended and I was lost. I even made a wrong turn and ended up going the wrong way. I pulled over and faced one of Detroit's finest. He stopped traffic and I explained my predicament, he had need to follow him and explain where to locate the address. The address did not exist. The student was late and had given poor information. After calling Luca, the student who has solicited me and others, his setup was in the backyard of Old Main under activities of the law school and other departments. He established himself a spot on the corner of second and worn with his forms and candy. I have warned our group that will we be walking we will be working with a student. We registered students to vote and got some to even volunteer. The purpose of telling the story is to praise the kindness of the officer who was on his motorcycle directing traffic on Third Street that afternoon. I didn't get his name, and want to send him a letter thanking him for his patience, and to inform chief white about one of our finest. I like to write about the positive work our officers are doing in the city. We need to hear more about many of our officers who are great leaders. I will tell more about this story next week. Thank you.
All right, thank you,
Chairman. Can we find him? Can they find out who it was so she can let the officer know how much he appreciated his service?
Yeah, through the chair. I think if we can get the date and time and stuff, we
can figure it out. Thank you.
Thank you. Next
Thank you. After Miss George, it will be Mr. Ronald Foster and then we'll go into zoom. All right, thank you. Good evening
to Chairman woods. Is honorable board to Assistant Chief Fitzgerald. So I just want to make the comment, as Lieutenant Young was stating, yeah, we do see the work that Detroit police officers are doing every day. I know I see it, because what they I know that what they're working with. We have one in five people working with mental health challenges, and we see the tax that happen in our system. So I do want to thank the DPD, because if I need them, Imma call them. So I know we do want to, I do thank them for their work and their service. Because I've, I've seen commander chambers. It's always good to see him. I've seen the work that he's done. The second police precinct, hope,
Deputy Chief. Hope, I
hope I pronounced that right deputy and Lieutenant young, so I know the work. But with also that being said, I do want to just acknowledge that with policing in a community, there is stress across the country, but it doesn't relate to DPD. We see what's happening, but I would say, I do agree that the camera should be released immediately. That way you will have transparency in the community. And because we what we see for not all officers, because I've had officers state police help me in a lot of things, but a lot of times with what happened, just with Reverend Charles Williams of Nash Action Network in Bloomfield, it could have changed in a minute. And like he stated, I interviewed him on my show. I interviewed him. The skin color was a trigger in Bloomfield, but we were able, he was able to rectify that. So it doesn't make like Lieutenant young say, we they do good, and it's only there's a few. Just like nurses, you can find a few bad apples of nurses. But I just want to say with the if you release the video, the transparency is there, and I won't even relate. DPD is high standard compared to the communities in Texas. I got to say that. But what we're seeing across the country, what happened with Sonia Macy? So that's all Massey. That's all I want to say. Thank you.
Thank you. Next, you.
Good evening. Good evening through the Chair. Just a few things. Your name, please. My name is Mr. Ronald Foster. I want to just say a few things, just like in sports, your conduct matters on and off of the court, and there are penalties for not conducting yourselves appropriately off the court as public servants. First thing I want to say is that it's important that our police build relationships with the community, not just calling a community where you need information or need things. Second thing, I personally would like to hold the union accountable for all color of law violations opposed to our risk management and the citizens and community here. Thirdly, you can start the relationship by enforcing the crime victim rights. If more resources are needed, then let the community know so that we get the resources that's needed, but we can no longer accept apologies from the police for not enforcing Crime Victim Rights Under MCL seven, 80.766 dash, 780, point 834, I want to give a shout out to Commander Chambers as well. I want to give a shout out to Commander lover, Commander Dunn and I always see them in the community and welcome the kids to school. 12% I've been asking for more visibility around the schools. They have been visible since day one, around the schools before and after. So I think it's appropriate to acknowledge that, and so they could keep up those good works. And just more importantly, Mr. Priest, he is a valued asset within you guys this department. And I will just say that personally, and I would like for you guys to give him a little more consideration, if opportunities opened up, he had proven himself in the community, and, more importantly, in this building right here to be of value to this department. Keep up the good work where the work is good, and tighten up where slugs. Appreciate you all for listening.
Thank you very kindly. Mr.
Chair, we're going to go into zoom. We have six speakers in zoom. The first speaker would be Steven Paul ring. If you could please announce your name.
You may be heard.
Okay, thank you. Steven hiring District Six, so I have a few questions. You know, I've been hearing a lot about that. Sherman, Butler, what happened in Palmer parked over on social media, and there's, like, no information about it. Like, was he armed? Was there videos? You know, there's really no information about it at all. And, of course, you know, the crazy, you know, anti eviction people are constantly going around spreading misinformation about it. And you know, it's really hard to know because, I mean, BPD hasn't gave back anything out. I mean, after the Hakeem Littleton, you know, they released the video right away and show that the murder was justified. But of course, you know Christian Taylor and all those you know defund the polices. I mean, still spreading misinformation about it, but still, you know, our taxpayer money is paid for the police, and we should know right away. You know what happened and did, and the bailiffs too. You know, a lot of these bailiffs. You know, from what I've heard, they're not usually the most professional. And you know, a lot of times, you know, it always is better to have you know, police present. You know, when there is a bitch, and especially towards a someone who might be mentally ill, someone who might not exactly be stable, no, because now this has happened so many times, and you know what? It's just going to keep happening. You know, I think there needs to be more transparency. And, you know, I don't know if there's cameras in the building or not, but you know, they should be released like right away. Yeah. All
right, thank you. Next,
the next speaker would be Miss Tara Brown, after her, it would be Chris Gilmore Hill, after Mr. Hill, it would be election integrity rule, please again, state your name for the record.
You may be heard.
Hi, my name is Tara Brown, and I'm one of those crazy people from the anti eviction I'm with Detroit eviction defense. And I just want to say, you know, we shouldn't be waiting this long for camera footage. I sent you all an email. Nobody responded, per usual, I'm sorry, Mr. Woods did respond to one of the emails I sent. However, me as a citizen, sitting at home, I have been able since the last time I spoke with you all or sent an email to identify three additional officers in that video, one of them in particular, whose name I will not mention, just because I am not 100% sure that he is the officer, but based on the several videos and news clippings I've seen, that this particular officer has been in every single one of them. He's actually new to the force, and has only been on the force as of the time Sherman Butler was killed five months and I'm still trying to figure out was there an equipment failure? Nobody's been able to tell us that. Nobody's been able to give us any information about the officer who's tased him. I found more information on my own than we've been given as a public nobody has been able to explain why, based on the press release that came out, that is in total opposition of what Captain Rodriguez said on the news, how a person half naked, just waking up out of bed who had just had surgery three weeks prior to remove part of their toes, leaping and hopping all over this bedroom, being shot with tasers, and how an armed police officer had to be protected from this person by a bailiff. None of that information is clear. There is no video we've received. All the statements coming from the police actually are more inconsistent than anything that any activist or organizer has published online, and the fact that the assistant chief or assistant deputy, whoever he was, was in here, not answering questions and demanding things we put in writing. I don't like to use the term conspiracy, but it feels like the police are conspiring and trying to hide things from the public. Thank you.
Thank you. You want to respond to that? AC,
oh, no, I'm sorry. I'm
just writing. My
name is Chris Gilmer Hill. I'm a lifelong resident of the city's Second District. I'd like to firstly echo the comments of the previous commenter and the Minister of blood. There's no reason for there to be this sort of a delay and promptly releasing video footage to clarify to concern Detroiter, what happened on the day this, by all accounts, innocent person was killed. It's in the process of executing an addiction. Right? Follows my mind that anybody would consider themselves pro addiction in this city, but the voices that you should be listening to are the Community Voices of the folks who are outraged by these ongoing addictions, by the violence they've heard and who want answers that should be a top priority of both department and of this commission in your oversight duty to ensure that this information gets released when DPD is falling for it as they are there, I'd like to also thank Commissioner Burton for pushing forward our community concerns about disgrace. Effective Simon and Chino again urge that the community concerns would be the top priority of the representatives of EPD who are here today to answer questions. DPD shouldn't be trying to draw a distinction between whether something is a community concern or a commission concern or one Commissioner's concern and the question is being asked of dpdpd has a moral and legal responsibility to provide those answers to whichever Commissioner asked the and this board needs to stand behind every commissioner who's asking these questions to get answers for our demand. I'd also like to thank Commissioner Bernard earlier today for taking time to educate the community and to get on the record details about our probable policy like to spread to the chair of the board. These are, this is how we should be using our time here. This is not the place to praise the police, as an earlier comments reported, this is the time and place for police oversight. Commissioners, Bernard and Burton are working towards that, and so far today, nobody says, Thank you.
Thank you. And before we go to the next comment, I want to make it absolutely clear, and people need to read the charter the city of Detroit in terms what, what is the board responsibilities are. We don't do criminal investigations and and all of that. You know, we have nothing to do with criminal matters. You know, period point blank. And so the charter is very, very clear, and we strongly encourage people to read that in terms of what is our authorities. Even with policy, we think, willy nilly make a policy come out of the sky is going to take us, the department, as well as the mayor, to work together to get agreement on policy, you know, and so we wish we have more powers, and we wish that the the charter will be revised to give us these powers, but we don't have all the powers that the community think that we have. And so next comment,
your friends,
you may be heard.
Okay, uh, there was, listen closely. You've been in jail. Listen closely. Chief Fitzgerald, I want you to listen closely as well. And everybody in that room, entire room, I want y'all to hear this. You cannot take a nine millimeter weapon and shoot yourself and the left side with your left hand on the gun at the trajectory that the bullet travel. For DPD, case two, zero, dash, 11112, the death of Kenisha Coleman. You cannot do it unless your arm is a piece of cooked spaghetti. And if you did it, were able to accomplish that trajectory. There is no way that you wouldn't leave a gun, burn a gun, stipend on the entry room. No way. It's impossible. The laws of physics says it's impossible. Now we got seasoned, supposedly seasoned, homicide detectives and homicide investigators working for the Department that cannot understand that, that you can't do it and not leave a gun burn on the entry wound. Kenisha didn't have no gun burns on the entry wound, and she didn't use her right hand. Kenisha was left handed, left handed, left side in the abdomen, no gum burns, no gun stipplers on the wound, no suicide weapon at the scene and her own dying words were, she did not shoot herself. There was, you better check yourself, because you stepped over your boundary as the chairman by telling somebody not to do something that the board voted on and approved for them to do. It came from you. I can figure that much out. Anybody got to tell me nothing.
Thank you.
AC
the this situation,
you guys have declared as a suicide, right? Yes, sir. What did the state police say? But it was a suicide as well. Absolutely yes. Alright, thank you.
Where's the report?
The next commenter would be Mr. Dejante Smith and former Commissioner William Davis, again, please state your name for the record.
Good afternoon. May I be heard? Yes, you may be heard. Good afternoon. My name is judte Smith, for the record. Uh, I am very disappointed in what I've heard on this call. I've been trying to be very diplomatic about what I've been listening to, but what I've heard on this call from this chairperson and all these praise the police, I'm gonna call it the chairperson, Darryl woods, I'm gonna call out also Commissioner Hernandez, you guys are protecting the police. Your job is not to protect the police. It is to uphold the complaints of citizens. Also want to say Sergeant dowdy on Homicide needs to be addressed. The homicide department of DPD is terrible. Friendly Butler's video should be released. Also. The seven precinct is also terrible. So I work with a group called Mothers keeping boots on the ground three mothers who all have murdered children or city of Detroit, and the complaints they give me about homicide versus what I've just heard from this board about how good homicide is doing is terrible, also acuing. You should be listening very closely. What I'm saying is, well, also these murders that are that are being called Suicide. There was two people in the last meeting that I one of the recent meetings that I heard both saying that there's a murder being confirmed in suicide that is not a suicide. If murder detectives don't want to do their job, fire them, move them to different departments or move them to different sections, they should not be homicide detectives. That is not what their job is to to deem things suicides that are homicides. Also, I want to say AC un the next time we speak, it may be with one of the council members. Seems like you listen and you got a good you guys got your notepads out. For real. When I come with a council member, I know you remember me speaking with you about Lieutenant Cole with council member Santiago Romero, I will come back with another council member, maybe in the next meeting. There may be more than one. But if whatever I have to do to get justice and to get to get to you guys to listen, we going to do that. And also this terminally bullish situation. You guys don't deal with criminal matters, but you can come up with a director for the entire department. You guys can get that video released. And I want that video released. We have an entire Coalition. We will not stop until we get that video released. Also, I will not stop until I get all of the complaints that I have handled.
Thank you. Anyone, further.
You may be heard.
Good afternoon. Can y'all be heard? Yes, sir. Okay, again, I like to say I think DPW and the BC should be tracking wrongful arrest in the city of Detroit. Also, I agree with Mr. Commissioner Burton, in that y'all should have in your possession a list of the officers that are not allowed to testify. You know, to me, if officers not allowed to testify, or if an officer misrepresents or falsified official documentation, they should not be an officer. Also, yeah, I was just talking about, you know, abandoned vehicles. It's been a a vehicle, an abandoned vehicle on my block, on the Apple line between joy and Oakman, for over a month, they got profanity scraped, scraped with on it, and has a flat tire. But nobody seems to want to do anything about it, you know. So it's just sometimes y'all do stuff and sometimes y'all don't, because I've called twice on it. Also more needs to be done to make sure that people are aware of the scope of your authority. You know, there are things that y'all can do and things that y'all can't do, but y'all need to be doing more public service announcements and let people know. You know, the fact that y'all can do stuff like subpoena stuff, y'all can do a number of informed community y'all should have some community events where y'all explaining what y'all do and what y'all can't do. You know, I think this board can do a little bit better, and I think it would be much better if more of the members was there, more regular. You know, during the time I was on the board, and since then, I have not missed a single meeting. I think if you want to be on the board, especially if you're in a quarantine, you should be there. If not, you should quit. Thank you. Thank you.
That was the last one. Okay, let's go to human resource.
May I just comment briefly on Yes, Ma'am, what we've heard two things. The board did vote for us to receive chief Fitzgerald to to receive a copy of the memos regarding or the reports regarding condition Coleman, regarding both of state police matter, as well as the Detroit Police Department. One, we still haven't received those. Secondly, regarding the release of videos. You may recall that I had made a mo you weren't here yet. Chair woods that that our videos be released within 30 days, similar to what it is in the city of Chicago and many other major metropolitan areas, much larger, with 20,000 25,000 officers. Those videos are posted online in Chicago. You can pull them up. I mean, hundreds of them within person laying there, bleeding the whole thing. You see everything within 30 days. I propose that to the board at that time, because in for us to send a resolution to city council to make it an ordinance, the board, and that time, unfortunately, voted it down. This is a major issue. I know that. I think you guys want to do it every 45 days. There's no precedent for that and and in the community, this is a video age. As you said earlier, you mentioned social media several times in your report, the community has a right to know. They have a right to see and make their own choices. I just and I saw the memo saying that you didn't want to release the video about the Taser incident, because this was a private citizen. It doesn't matter the police were there. They took video, and it should be released to the community. I mean, it was a police there was police involvement, whether it was personally, I shoot you, or the police shooting somebody the community wants to know, and I really do think that that you need to revise your position, as stated in the memo regarding the release of the video. It doesn't hurt anybody. It was a public
Institute Commissioner, if you, if you can remember, I don't know if you was here last week that you guys passed a motion for it to go back to the policy committee to discuss with the department on whether it can be released in 21 days, so that
I was, I wasn't here. Thank you. Thank you. No, I appreciate that.
Yes, you know, you know. Just, just want to just add that you know, the board you know, have always had his own attorney, you know. And and you know, it was, you know, 1963 when, you know, Dr King gave, I Have a Dream speech. And then 1973 the first African American mayor, was elected by the name of Coleman Young, here in the city of Detroit. And so, you know, then he put together the board of police commissions in 1974 now is the year that we are celebrating 50 years of police oversight, and we still don't have attorney. You know, Corporation Counsel may send attorney to the board meeting it from time to time, but, but the board has been so unique by having his own attorney, and we had some pretty good attorneys that represented this board and the board's interest, as well as hearing to the community, and Commissioner Linda Bernard was also one of those good attorneys that that want to represent this board. So at this time, I just like to make a motion that the Board of police commissioners post the attorney position, because we desperately in need of attorney to represent this body.
Currently, we do have an attorney on an interim basis that was come from the law department, but that attorney will be dedicated to the board of Police Commission and their office, his office, Mr. Dante, was sitting there now his office will be here, and our office and so, and I was going to bring that up on a new business. But you know, can you introduce yourself to the board on and and we can have some discussion on it after then. But Mr. Dante,
thank you, Commissioner. My name is Dr Goss on the assistant Corporation house for the city of Detroit law department, and I'm just here to assist the board in any way possible that's needed
duty. Duty chair,
when the board need immediate opinion on something, who the department is going to side with, the Detroit Police Department or the board of police commissioners, and so that's why we are independent body where we have always had our own attorney. Yes, all of the city departments go through, you know, does go through the Corporation Counsel, but the chief has his own attorneys, and he has more than one attorney or researchers, and the board has always had his attorney. We have a paralegal that works for us, but we don't have our own attorney. We had some great attorneys over the years that once represented this board, but right now, we don't have attorney of our own. This attorney that's sitting here today works for Corporation Counsel. That's where he came from. So the for him to come over here and work part time, or whatever,
he'll be working full time.
He's not he's not our attorney. He works for Corporation Counsel. Therefore, we're not going to be able to get immediate opinion on anything that that, you know, that we raise here at this table, and we then also has to be unbiased.
Okay, you
know, I'm almost second Commissioner Burton's motion. I'm for our I'm for our own attorney. It's not our own attorney. I have nothing personal against him, but I mentioned months ago that we need our own attorney. We need our own nothing that Mayor Duggan sends us not against Mayor Duggan, he's great, he's incredible, but we need our own attorney. So our second Okay,
motion made. Mr. Chairman, this
is entirely out of order. It should go under new business. Okay, we'll wait for new
one of order. And Mr. Chairman, we are budget. We are budgeted. We are budgeted in our border. Yes, let's,
let's go bring it up in new business. Just bringing up a new business. Human Resource.
Good afternoon, through the through the tear through the board. I'll be presenting the HR Report for the month of July. So just keep in mind that those numbers are for July and now for August. So for departmental staffing, the department was filled at a 95% rate. We had 3361 positions filled. That includes the police officers, the civilians and the police assistance. For sworn officers, we were filled at 97% we had a total of 86 vacancies. Position field was 2586 for the sworn for civilians, we were filled at a total of 90% we had a total of 742 positions filled in 80 vacancies at that time. As you know, for July, the fiscal year started over. So for sworn recruiting, we had a total of 495 applicants that applied. 352 applications that were archived for the month of July, 28 personnel were higher temporary. His qualifications was 49 permanently. Disqualifications were 66 for him calls testing, that's the written and physical Julie exam were written. We had a total of 140 that was scheduled. 93 appeared. We had seven. We had 65 that passed, that was a 70% passing rate. We had 28 that fell. That was a 30% failure rate, and 47 no shows for physical agility. We had 120 schedule, 69 appear. 39 passed. That was 56 I mean 57% passing rate, 30 failed, 43% failure rate, and 44 no shows for Academy graduates. We did have a class that graduated, graduated total, 28 for total new hires. For July, we had 30 sworn, 65 early sworn, 25 civilians for total, 55 or that Detroit residency information for July, for Detroit total, sworn, 591 civilians, 435 police assistance 15, for non Detroiters, 1996 sworn, 307 civilians, 17, police assistance board, the new hires. For July of the civilians, there was 10 Detroit residents. And for sworn, it was six. Are two internship programs culminated on August the ninth. So far, mayor's fellows that we had in our Detroit grow Detroit early, great young talent, both of them ended on August the ninth. We had a graduation for the Detroit Public Safety Academy, for all the students that were participating over there, and then for all the mayor fellows and all the interns that were participating with the DPD units, we had a closing ceremony for them and gave them certificates as well. For attrition. For July, we had 13 separations for sworn, 13. For civilians, one police assistant, total, 27 and then for the leave of absence in the following categories for sworn we had 17 FMLA continuous, 53 FMLA intermediate, pay for rental leave, 15, medically, one, military, one restricted. 144 disabled. 22, and 620, and then for the civilian employees, for FMLA continuously, at five, FMLA intermediate, 31 pay parentally, one form for medical leave, five restricted, one disabled and three that was out on sick. For personnel, sworn suspensions made a total of 27 the breakout was 23 police officers, one corporal, two sergeants, one lieutenant. And then for monthly separations, as I said, it was 13. That included eight police officers, one sergeant, one lieutenant, one detective, one captain, one Corporal. And then for the deferred retirement option plan, we had a total of 507 that is in that plan. For Academy students, we're going to start a class tomorrow. Come tomorrow, we have a total of 147 students at the academy, five classes, five classes as a tomorrow will be at the Academy. We did graduate a class on last Friday, and it was a total of 34 students. We still have former members that are returning to DPD and members that are still applying to return to DPD that have left pending. Any questions that concludes our presentation?
Any questions? Yes, sir,
Chairman, madam, Director, what is the policy or procedure? HR or doing a virtual interview of candidates in particular one out of state. Do we have some insight on you got a policy speak to HR terms, how that process is available.
Do you mean just, do we interview them if they're virtual? Can
they be interview state candidate, especially for virtual interview? Yes, they can. And this cross the board. I can only
speak for DVD. I can't speak for the other agencies within within the city of Detroit. But for DPD, we have had applicants who have applied out of state, and depending on what they are applying for, if they have met the eligibility and they are on the list to be interviewed, yes, we have conducted interviews without a state personnel.
I post a question my understanding, the candidate for board secretary requested for interview, and they didn't get a response back from this board in reference to that process. But I guess HR could elaborate. I don't know what the board decision or highly qualified candidate was not given opportunities to be interviewed because to come for interview would be like $500 just casually, you know, if you don't be considered. But I think initially, I think was not unreasonable, but just want to share that with you.
So if it was a candidate for the board of police commissions, they would have fallen up under the city guidelines, and not DPD. But I can tell you for DPD that if a candidate identifies that they are out of state, we will give them the opportunity to interview. So I would defer to commissioners Hernandez to
thank you through the Chair, I would hope this stage that we would know the difference between BPD HR and city HR. I'm sure most of us are aware of that. I will remind this body again, or I have no idea at this point how many times the board secretary position which we're so glad that Miss Lydia is here now, is an appointed position. We could select someone as a body, and it's within our legal right to appoint them, even without an interview. That's how the appointment process works here in the city. So if there are biases or other rationale as to why these comments are being made, happy to have a sit down conversation, but we know better than that. Mr. Chairman,
yes, sir, I want to say I'm well versed in terms of director personnel and HR, we lobby and campaign for that to have. I don't like my watch.
Speak to the Chair. Thank
you speaking to the chair. Okay,
okay, thank you. All right. Any other courses to the chair. Yes,
I just want to just raise this point.
Is it relate to the I
just just really quick, we have, you know, Commissioner Bell is a senior statesman on this board, and I like it if everyone has the show him the respect in the class at this time, because he's absolutely right about all about a number of things. There's times that we disagree, but he's actually right this time around. And as a senior stakes man, is this your main we, we should, we should hear what he has to say, because it's very valid. That's her, what he had to say. He
asked his questions and they got answered. And this has to be germane.
Excuse me, most of you are new commissioners, but he's a senior stakes man, excuse me, so we let's have some respect for him.
Oh, I respect him highly. And I think everybody on this board respect come highly. Respect people. Respect his humanity and his position. So anything else germane to the HR Report?
Mr. Chair, yes,
thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess for the benefit of the public, I know you always want to know what's happening with the police department in terms of residency, we have roughly 2000 officers, really, more than that, almost 20 702,000 of those are non residents, 591 our residents. Now this civilian employee situation is really in reverse. The majority of the civilian employees, roughly 1000 about 500 of those are, in fact, city residents, but the 300 307 are not. But there's some vacancies there, obviously. But I wanted you to know that there of the in terms of this report, Detroit residency information, police total sworn, 591 live in Detroit. 1996 live outside of Detroit. Thank you, Mister Chair, thank
you. Thank you. You're welcome. Let's go to
we did a secretary report already. Mr. Brown, did you when we do that later? Let's go to unfinished business. Commissioner Smith,
thank you. Through the Chair, this is the memorandum to the board of police commissioners from Commissioner Darrell woods, Chairperson, personnel and training committee. Today's date, August, 29 special
personnel and training committee. Oh,
well, there's nothing special in front.
Okay, I don't want to
All right, go ahead, dear
colleagues. On behalf of the Board of police commissioners, special personnel and training committee, please see the key updates from the committee meeting held on August 22 2024 board attendees, Commissioner Darrell woods, Commissioner Tamara Smith, executive manager policy position on May 24 2024 the special training and personnel committee provided the full board, Mr. Dorian Tyus as executive manager of policy. After a couple of weeks, he declined the position. After a thorough review of responses and evaluation of qualifications, the special personnel and training committee made the decision to advance Felicia Tyson, this recommendation will be presented to the full board for consideration. Thank you.
Is there any objections? There being no, yes, I
don't have objection, but I don't want to. I hate to really speak, but I think I cannot be silenced in some manner of this board, Commissioner burden asked the question about the special training committee, and I would question. I would ask madam secretary and our legal counsel to review IG report you going down path of the chair and the vice chair acting as a committee without posting to date. You hit on the fifth on the 22nd I think that would be a violation of the Open Meeting act in terms of how we operate. We've been cited before, so you need to review that process in terms of how we cited and I know personally, because I was chair. So I want to give you some background. Was vice chair at that time. It's something that you meeting without the authority of the board. More or less. It was self appointed that way. So I just want to caution you to review that process. I would ask the board secretary and Mr. Goss to really look at this particular special committee that's been foiled
now it hasn't been for this is something that has been formed to be able to deal with these positions. Commissioner Bernard was on it myself as well as and Carter was on there, and it was dealing with this particular position, and it was a public meeting. It was put out there, on online, and it was open to the public, and it was done according to the rules, you know. And so the fact of the matter is, is that this is not a new committee. There's something that has been ongoing to deal with all of the back log in terms of helping the personnel and training committee and helping our former chair and this particular board to get all those positions feel, whether it come from investigators, the policy manager, and it was a couple other positions that the chair put on our watch to be able to get done. And they got done, and we just finishing the job.
But the problem that Commissioner Bill has raised, if I may, Mr. Chair, is that, if you just said the committee consists of four people, there were only two people present, so there's no quorum.
Yeah, it was a quorum. To
Carter, you said, Me and the two of you
two is a quorum. And you not four or four you, it's only 50% now you are out of town, right? I want, yeah, you are out of town, so you got the invite there, and you was out of town and couldn't make it. And Miss Carter, she had been to a meeting in a very long time, you know, she has not been able to come to meetings, you know, in months, you know. So we move forward
and still not quorum,
it's a quorum, okay, yeah, anything further,
I would hope that you take what I said for that type of advice to check with the board secretary, Mr. Goss, I think one incident that we were with the attorney, Yes, Attorney, we were cited in terms Corporation Counsel, the legal body for this body, regardless what the transactions take place with the Legal Center, it still can be reviewed and reverse or stand affirmed by the corporation count. Past Chair. I mean, Mr. Garcia made it clear in writing, terms of appearing for this board and taking certain action. Just want to share that with you. I'll leave it at that. Okay,
anything from the board we asked our personnel and training HR expert,
well, I mean, I'll speak in that regard, because I formed this special person on training committee meeting as the former chair while I was the chair, and again, it constituted those who might be able to serve as we were trying to fulfill all of the vacant positions that we had. As you very well know Commissioner Bill, and I'm sure all the commissioners know it is in the prerogative of the chair to then select their own committees in committee assignments. And so I believe there was an email that was provided, I guess, a few weeks ago, several weeks ago now, where Commissioner woods, Chair woods, excuse me, shared his committee assignments. And so as he did state who was initially on the committee, and you're right when you counted those out, Commissioner Bernard. But again, it is his prerogative as chair to determine who is on that committee. And so at that point, the members on that committee does, then amounts to a quorum. But I mean, obviously, again, a special committee was dictated for special terms, and so I do think that there is some value to your point Commissioner bell in seeing whether or not the continuation of the special person on training committee is necessary, noting that all of the positions that prompted its creation have now been filled.
Yeah, and the only one would be, would be this last one, and I'm happy to defer it back to to the personnel and training, you know. I'm happy to do that, you know. Excuse me,
I'm okay with your recommendation, I
guess. Yeah, you know, whatever the pleasure of the board, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. So through the chair, yes,
we have a recommendation on the board, yeah, or on the table, yeah. Is
any objections? There have been no objection, then it is, I
abstains. Mr. Chair,
okay, all right, thank you. Okay, we
get a roll call. Please. Get
a roll call vote, and if is anything legal in the situation, we have the attorney advisor for any legal implication, but I don't see any.
Mr. Chairman, I think our parliamentarian has previously advised us that a committee report does not require a motion or a second it is accepted. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Thank
you. Point of order, it's not necessarily correct if there is an action item that's coming out of the committee, a second is not needed, but it does require a vote of the board. So we're asking just to roll call, yep,
roll call to approve this young lady. That's what we're doing, the
recommendation, recommendation
presented to the full board for consideration.
And again, legally speaking, I think that that covers us, because at the end of the day, the hiring of this individual will be not by the committee, but as a result of the vote of this board, so it gives all of our fellow commissioners the opportunity to say yay or nay on whether or not they believe this person should be hired
through this year. Yes, yes.
Just, just in behalf of the being on the committee when the committee was formed by you. Yes, there is no funny business going on or any type of favoritism. We all interview these people. I sat for six hours interviewing several people for several positions, and then when it came to here, so when you have difficulty getting people to show up, even for a board meeting as well as a special committee meetings. I think that he goes by whoever he can get to get a commissioner to come in so that we can interview and to vote. So I don't want you to think that there's been any deception or or anything that's done sneaky behind any of your battles.
I don't think the commissioner implied that he was just talking about process, and he was talking about the, if I'm correct, some things have been done in the past, and we, as Commissioner Presley says that this roll call vote will sell it at all, because it would be the will of this of the board and not the committee.
I just want to say one more thing I did, yes, sir, and report indicated that decision already been made in a committee meeting versus coming to the board. That was the gray area. Just give you the odd year. Okay, yes, sir, they decided they report prior to the board. Do you already made your mind what you going to do? So that it was improper, but I asked once again, you need to pursue it. And
yes, ma'am, Mister Chair, I want to explain why I abstain, because I have a I'm not clear on whether you needed to have a quorum, and I don't believe to is a quorum. I just had a board meeting at my job, and we have an attorney on the board, and we had six out of 12, and he said that was not a quorum, so we had to wait for a seventh person. So I'm that's why I'm voting.
It's a quorum of four. So it's four on the committee. It was for people on the committee to quorum. So it wasn't, it was two out of the four, and which has been right the process, even in current committee.
So I'm abstaining for that. I'm just explaining staining. I'm not questioning your recommendation or anything. I'm just
Yeah, so, but we're going to do a roll call vote, and it's going to take it all the way from it's going to free the uh, special personnel committee to vote on this recommendation. Roll call vote. The
parliamentarian, online.
Roll call vote.
Commissioner woods,
yes.
Commissioner Smith,
yes.
Commissioner Bernard,
I just don't notice someone will you like her? I'll say yes.
Commissioner banks,
can you what is the motion for? Can you repeat that the
point for the policy manager,
Mr. Dorian tyres, no,
right. Down here.
The guy, no, no.
The lady this durian, right? No,
no, no, no, this, this is for someone who interviewed Alicia Tyson. Alicia Tyson, oh, okay,
okay, yeah, yeah, trying to hear and we were talking to them, yeah, yeah, I remember. Okay, yeah, that's fine. Yes, yes.
Commissioner Bell, same. Commissioner
Carter,
I'm sorry.
Commissioner Hernandez,
yes, you uh,
Commissioner de Walsh abstain, Commissioner Presley,
Yes.
Motion passes,
okay, um, please, uh, direct a memo to uh, HR, regards matter, all right? Any other I think it's new business now, or let me see where we at. Yeah, I'm finished. We any new business? There being a new business. What is, oh, new business is that we have with there's no motions, no anything. So Mr. Dante Goss is our interim attorney, and he's a very skilled person, a person who will be in our office and we have 1,000% access to, as I'll say, Get acquainted with him. Get his number. He will help us through this process. And he would start on Tuesday. And his office again, be here in the board of Police Commission,
the gentleman right here, yes,
oh yeah, all right. Okay, yes, sir,
thank you. Just I don't know if isn't an announcement or new business, but I'd like to formally welcome our board secretary to joining these meetings. We as we know as a body and the public as well. This has been a very long and tedious process, and yet we obviously feel very confident in your abilities, and we're just excited for you to be
here. Absolutely. Commission. Bernard wash,
Attorney Goss, I've known you for a long time. You're former board secretary for the board of police commissioners. Isn't that correct? Yes, now you've served in the executive, I'm sorry. No, you've served in the executive role as our board secretary previously. And how long have you been now with Corporation Counsel's Office? Three years. Two years. Well, welcome aboard. But I just want to caution you about what I could think of Commissioner Burton was talking about, which is received and our actual conflicts of interest, our interests are not always in accord with the will of the corporation council. So your job, as you know, is to we're your client, the only client that you have. And if there's a problem for you in terms of representing our interest, then obviously you'd have to recuse yourself. You agree? Yes. Mel, thank you
Commissioner the wash.
Thank you Mister Chair. I just wanted to thank Robert Brown for the period that he was interim for keeping everything in order. I've only been back for a short time, but during this time that I've been here, he's been extremely helpful for me. So thank you, Robert,
yeah, you stole my words Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You know from the bottom of our hearts, and thank you for the great guidance and leadership that you have brought and the dignity you bring to this space as well. And so having said that, what is the pleasure of this board. Just missed me adjourned motion made by Commissioner, Bart, Bernard. And second, by Commissioner nandez to adjourn. All in favor say, Aye. Anyone opposed. The motion is not early.
