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Detroit area civilian community members, police chiefs and various city and township government officials presented their viewpoints on police interactions with the public, online on January 14, 2021, while other attendees listened.

This was the third (second virtual) Listening Tour. The purpose of these meetings is to identify the wants, needs and desires of the public so that agencies can intentionally identify priorities, develop a plan, act, evaluate and maintain accountability. A mutual goal of all involved is excellence in policing and public safety, while envisioning the best public safety for every resident.

The first panelist group included Ronald Haddad, Chief of Police, Dearborn, Nick Lentine, Chief of Police, Redford Township, Alan Maciag, Chief of Police, City of Northville, John Randle, Human Resources Director, Farmington Hills, representing Oakland County, David Robinson, Chief of Police, Belleville, Paul Tennies, Chief of Police, Northville Township and Brian Turnbull, Mayor, Northville.

When asked how their agencies responded to the crisis situations without bias, their answers included:

Training to prepare for various interactions, implicit bias training, reviewing body cameras in serious interactions, developing policies and procedures that hold people accountable, transparent complaint and internal investigation processes, psychological evaluations of potential officers to weed out propensities of violence and other detrimental behaviors, de-escalation procedures in mental health fitness interactions and obtaining agency state or international accreditation.

Panelists highlighted actions which may be taken when officers are identified as not following agency policies and procedures:

• Unions are involved.

• Retraining may be imposed

to correct behavior.

• Grievance procedures need

to be followed.

• Officers are entitled to due

process.

• Officers are usually paid until charges are filed against them or convicted of a crime.

• Criminality, gross misconduct and dishonestly are leading factors in dismissals.

The second panelists group was composed of men of color who told their stories of police interactions. They were Julian Antoine, M. Guyton, Steven Hall, John D. Hearn, Jr., Will Miller, Kino Smith, Joshua Wheeler and Victor Wheeler

Panelist told various stories with an underlying theme of being harassed by the police because of their color.

• Comcast worker on a job assignment being asked to lie on the ground with guns pointed at him and asked why he was there, while he was on the job with a company truck, wearing his Comcast badge and uniform.

• Pulled over by a state trooper who seemed offended when asked to step back or put a mask on. This individual was followed by the trooper for four blocks. He was asked where he was going. He was stopped in front of his house, which was the address on his driver's license.

• Pulled over for driving one over the speed limit. Had pants and underwear pulled down by officers.

• Stopped on way home from work while leaving job in Livonia.

• Stopped by police on his 17th birthday, one standing out of sight with a gun drawn, when walking home from plaza that could be seen from his house.

• Told by his mother, as he was growing up, that police had to fulfill their quotas.

The third panelist group included Chad Baugh, Director of Police Services, Canton Township, Curtis Caid, Chief of Police, Livonia, Kerren Conley, Human Resources Manager, Canton Township, Al Cox, Chief of Police, Plymouth, Ann Marie Graham-Hudak, Canton Township Supervisor, Jeff Jedrusik, Chief of Police, Westland and William Riley, Chief of Police, Inkster

The first issue addressed by this group regarded quotas and racial profiling. The police chiefs were adamant that quotas were illegal and unacceptable. They said that traffic patrol areas were data driven with most formed from citizen, business and government department calls. One official acknowledged that there may have been a culture of ticketing in the distant past. Suggested means to prevent biases in stops were early detection of bias-based police reporting, accreditation, training officers to understand personal bias, having a partnership with the community and assuring fieldwork is proper.

This group talked about increasing diversity within their departments. Some measures that addressed this issue were talking to high school students and college students in criminal justice programs and providing developmental programs, which serve as a conduit to police academies. One police chief stated he wants to create a force which represents the community with people of color. He recognized that many parents regardless of their race and background do not want their children to be in law enforcement careers. This is one of the factors which may contribute to unfilled vacancies in police departments.

The last topic for the group was how do "police police police?" Technology, such as in-car and body cameras, were touted as mechanisms, which help hold officers accountable. Better supervision of officers, improving police and community partnerships and relations, increasing state and federal funding, making sure "bad" officers are not hired by other agencies would go a long way to improve policing.

The forum was presented live by the Partnership for Progress, a cooperative effort of the Conference of Western Wayne County (CWW) and the Western Wayne County NAACP, on the CWW Facebook page. Daicia Price, LMSW, of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and the University of Michigan served as the moderator.

The format of the Listening Tour is a fishbowl. It is an opportunity to share and listen without responding. There were three groups of panelists. Each group had up to 20 minutes to share responses to questions and topics. Others are given the opportunity to listen carefully and reflect on what is shared. The fishbowl concept is designed to offer perspective of other views and ideas. It also serves as a beginning to dialogue.

The questions to civilian community members were from the police chiefs and city and township officials, and vice versa. Unanswered questions may be carried over to subsequent forums.

Going back to the goals of the Listening Tour, several panelists from all of the groups stated that it was important to treat all people fairly.

The next Listening Tour will be held on Thursday, March 18. For more information visit http://www.c-w-w.org or http://www.westernwaynecountynaacp.com