Board of Police Commissioners
Detroit Board of Police Commissioners
Criminal Justice
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Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team
Note-taking by
Damien Benson
Documenters question Chair Ferguson's claim the BOPC can meet privately as long as they're not voting.
Live reporting by
Alex Klaus
Documenters question Chair Ferguson's claim the BOPC can meet privately as long as they're not voting.
Alex 🌈⭐️
@mostlikelyalex
Good afternoon! Today at 3 pm, I’ll be live-tweeting today's Board of Police Commissioners meeting for #DETdocumenters. @DetDocumenters @BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes @MichiganRadio @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @wdet @wxyzdetroit
01:42 PM Mar 23, 2023 CDT
Not much on today’s agenda, other than the usual reports from Chief James White and a resolution for Lt. Fredrick Bowens. detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm… https://t.co/gi3U60L0II
Meeting documents: detroitmi.gov/events/board-p…
Documenters Coverage: detroit.documenters.org/assignments/bo…
Documenters Coverage: detroit.documenters.org/assignments/bo…
This hearing revealed a request for a $22 mil budget increase. They are looking to reduce their homicide unit and double their Narcotics Enforcement Section, despite claims that homicides are up 17%. Guess we’ll see what he says today. twitter.com/other_eli/stat…
A few weeks ago, I reported that the BOPC has rescinded their offer to Jerome Warfield Sr. who was going to fill their vacant Chief Investigator role. They are searching for new candidates. New Board Secretary Victoria Shaw has started her position. mailchi.mp/outliermedia/d… https://t.co/ns1NFLNal4
The meeting was called to order at 3 pm, and we’re currently going into introductions.
Roll call:
Holt has an excused absence
Not present at roll call:
- Banks
- Burton
- Carter
- Moore
Holt has an excused absence
Not present at roll call:
- Banks
- Burton
- Carter
- Moore
We have an Assistant Chief in place for Chief White, I think his name was David Lavalle but the spelling for this could be wrong.
Chair Ferguson is apologizing for last weekend, saying this is becoming a “broken record.” He’s saying that board members have different actions they want to take and have different methods of running things; but he encourages board members to abide by the rules of the board.
Ferguson is reminding attendants that public comment is only 2 minutes.
He’s also asking when the board can meet so they can “hash things out” in private so they don’t have to do so in front of the public. He says they can meet as long as they aren’t voting on anything.
He’s also asking when the board can meet so they can “hash things out” in private so they don’t have to do so in front of the public. He says they can meet as long as they aren’t voting on anything.
He says he’s going to have “informational meetings for information only,” saying they wont make any votes or take actions but where they can meet and relay information.
Are they really allowed to meet privately if they aren’t voting or taking action? I’m not sure. That is an unchecked claim.
He calls on the news media’s help. He thinks that reporting about catching people who committed crimes with “be a lesson” to stop committing crime in the city. He thinks reminding people they can get caught will lower crime.
Ferguson says he brags and jokes that his block is a “green light block,” likely meaning most of the buildings on the block are Project Green Light locations.
Commissioner Linda Bernard is reading the resolution to honor Lieutenant Fredrick Bowens. He passed away earlier this month. https://t.co/NQqofFk2q2
The number of precincts featured in the ShotSpotter reports have increased, leading me to assume that the $7M Shotspotter expansion approved by City Council in October has been implemented. https://t.co/L7acobWWSd
Commissioner Jim Holley is asking about a victim assistance fund to help bury people who were murdered.
The Assistant Chief said he doesn’t know about a fund in the city but there is one through the state.
Commissioner Bernard clarified that there is a fund through the Victims if Crime Act fund ran by the prosecutor’s office.
Commissioner Bernard clarified that there is a fund through the Victims if Crime Act fund ran by the prosecutor’s office.
@other_eli reported information about possible reduced funding for victim assistance. twitter.com/other_eli/stat…
Commissioner Bernard mentions a television report and says almost 80% of crime cases with young men, there us no “male figure in the house.”
The Assistant Chief says there are some programs at the 9th precinct where officers act as mentors and says there is a number of youth involved.
Chair Ferguson mentions the warming weather and asks if any increased action will be taken against drag racing, atvs, and dirt bikes.
The Assistant Chief says they will but it hasn’t been deployed yet but they will increase operations coming out of the Organized Crime Division.
The Assistant Chief says they will but it hasn’t been deployed yet but they will increase operations coming out of the Organized Crime Division.
One commenter is suggesting that all precincts start having meetings again, and let the neighborhood people know they must play a role in the shootings and killings.
She mentions news reports about young children getting murderer. She asks where the parents are in these cases.
She mentions news reports about young children getting murderer. She asks where the parents are in these cases.
Minister Eric Blount says Chair Ferguson’s apology is “not acceptable.” He says he creates the environment and atmosphere for the dysfunction and corruption and says their weekly public address has nothing to do with addressing officer misconduct.
He brings up the hiring and quick firing of Jerome Warfield reveals more of the BOPC’s corruption and lack of transparency.
Next commenter says “the revolution isn’t going to be pretty.”
She says they don’t get to the biggest issue of the board, which she says is the lack of OCI. She says she doesn’t know how we’re going to surveil our way out of all the crime, and says it isn’t working.
She says they don’t get to the biggest issue of the board, which she says is the lack of OCI. She says she doesn’t know how we’re going to surveil our way out of all the crime, and says it isn’t working.
She says the facial recognition does nothing. She also says the department over surveils an “already stressed” population. “We need to take another approach because we got the same problems week after week.”
Before public comment starter, Chair Ferguson says they are only looking for “CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.” ⬇️
D4 CAC Member Scotty Boman says every criticism contains constructive criticism, and says every criticism contains constructive criticism. He says the board’s job is not to pat people on the back every time they do something right.
Former Commissioner William Davis says the board needs to do a better job on “a number of things.” He says he didn’t think things could get worse, but they have. He says they shouldn’t serve as chair for the department but enforce checks and balances.
Chair Ferguson is getting defensive. He says there was not one call from people say they’ve been victim of any police. He says “it’s not fair.”
Commissioner Burton says people are concerned about the OCI issue and wants to make a motion to post the Chief Investigator position.
There was no second. The motion failed. Ferguson is going back to claiming they hear those with concerns. He says they don’t want to speed through the OCI process.
There has been no permanent OCI for 3 years. outliermedia.org/bopc-jobs-stil…
There has been no permanent OCI for 3 years. outliermedia.org/bopc-jobs-stil…
Commissioner Hernandez says there was an adopted a motion to bring another recommendation for OCI.
Secretary Shaw is showing a “policy review process” https://t.co/q82LHmclDx
She’s also showing information about a Community Contacts Collection Campaign. https://t.co/OhCGybx4Di
Shaw says the OCI has 14 investigators, which includes senior investigators.
She says they have 485 citizens complaint cases, 295 of which have passed the 90 day mark.
She says they have 485 citizens complaint cases, 295 of which have passed the 90 day mark.
Chair Ferguson says “See? We heard your concerns. I heard your concerns, and we put something together.”
One of the commissioners is asking where we are in the agenda. I didn’t hear an answer other than “we’re not there yet.”
Chair Ferguson is proposing is to let each person that’s the chair person for each committee meetings to meet.
Chair Ferguson is motioning to go into closed session. I did not see this on the agenda.
He says the request is for the board to consider discipline action for OCI police commissioner, supervisor, investigator, and (i think he said) BOPC executive manager, and policy.
He says the request is for the board to consider discipline action for OCI police commissioner, supervisor, investigator, and (i think he said) BOPC executive manager, and policy.
I am confused what this subject is supposed to mean. Again, not on the agenda.
Update: See video below of Secretary Shaw explaining.
Update: See video below of Secretary Shaw explaining.
Commissioner Bell says the board is totally out of line to entertain a motion of that kind.
Chair Ferguson says they can have that conversation in discussion.
Chair Ferguson says they can have that conversation in discussion.
Commissioner Holley says he’s uncomfortable with proceeding until there is a lawyer and parliamentarian present.
Commissioner Burton says there is has been no legal opinion from an attorney and therefore also feels uncomfortable
Commissioner Bell says this is a serious matter and people are entitled to written documentation.
Chair Ferguson mentions, yet again, this is why he wants to meet separately with the commissioners.
Commissioner Banks says they are missing two key people (the parliamentarian and the lawyer)
Commissioner Bernard also feels uncomfortable with there being no lawyer present.
Per classic twitter fashion, some of my tweets deleted instead of posting, including the roll call. The motion failed. Here is a Ferguson’s response https://t.co/R8ySD2efKF
So the motion failed, they never went into closed session. Then the meeting adjourned at 4:18.
I’m going to make a very quick and simple highlights thread because two important things occurred during this meeting. Stay tuned…
If you find anything inaccurate, please email documenters@outliermedia.org with the subject “Correction Request”
Agency Information
Detroit Board of Police Commissioners
The Board of Police Commissioners has supervisory control and oversight of the Police Department, including plenary authority over citizen complaints and the power to appoint fact finders, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony, and require the production of evidence. The Board also appoints a civilian as Director of Police Personnel and approves all promotions made by the Chief. The 11 member board is comprised of 7 elected members from each city council district and 4 members appointed by the Mayor. https://detroitmi.gov/government/boards/board-police-commissioners
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