policing
Community Updates: Friday, May 19
by (The Rapidian)
Submitted 05-19-2023 under NEWS
Kent County Prosecutor Announces Charging Decision in Case of Seven-Year-Old Student Who Brought Unloaded Firearm to Cesar E. Chavez Elementary On Wednesday, May 3, security personnel at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School in Grand Rapids...
Does the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association contract promote police officer misconduct?
by (Lyonel LaGrone II)
Submitted 12-18-2018 under OPINION
A citizen-based analysis of the current state of police-community relations in the City of Grand Rapids has revealed a consistent narrative: there is a clear resistance from the GRPD to accept accountability. The pattern in practice of GRPD...
Meeting with Kent County officials ends with Movimiento Cosecha GR members walking out
by (jproth1)
Submitted 08-07-2018 under PLACE-MATTERS
Members of Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE met with representatives from Kent County on Monday, August 6, 2018 to discuss ending the County's contract with ICE. The meeting, facilitated by Assistant County Administrator...
Protesters against ICE take over Kent County commission meeting
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 06-28-2018 under NEWS
Over 120 people gathered at 8 a.m. at Calder Plaza to call for Kent County to end its contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Kent County currently contracts with ICE for $85 a day to detain suspected undocumented immigrants in...
Former Commissioner White withdraws from appointment consideration at City Commission meeting
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 06-14-2018 under NEWS
Tuesday night's lengthy City Commission meeting was a packed house. Some of the biggest news came at the end of the night when Mayor Rosalynn Bliss announced former Third Ward Commissioner James White was withdrawing his name from consideration...
Local NAACP wants policing changes after detainment of 11-year-old girl
by (jproth1)
Submitted 12-19-2017 under NEWS
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Leaders of the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP and family members of 11-year-old Honestie Hodges gathered on Calder Plaza in front of City Hall Tuesday morning, December 19, 2017. The supporters are asking Grand Rapids...
Regulating begging is still bad solution to poverty, public safety concerns
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 12-12-2017 under OPINION
I work at The Rapidian now and have for about three years, but before I was a staff member, I was a community journalist. The second article I wrote on The Rapidian was an opinion piece detailing why I thought banning panhandling was a terrible idea...
Equity Service Policy passed without new measures for GRPD
by (Russell Olmsted)
Submitted 11-16-2017 under NEWS
On Tuesday, October 24, 2017 over 50 men, women, and children spoke before the City Commission asking that an Equal Service Policy be passed to protect the immigrant community from potential fear, intimidation, and harassment by City staff and...
Join The Micah Center at City Hall to stand for dignity, protection for immigrants
by (The Micah Center)
Submitted 10-24-2017 under NONPROFITS
Will you act now to stand with the immigrant children of God in Grand Rapids? Click here to quickly, easily email the City Commission and join us today to show support at the City Commission. Some of our most vulnerable, immigrant...
City, GRPD must seek independent investigations into police call recordings to rebuild public trust, transparency
by (Russell Olmsted)
Submitted 09-15-2017 under OPINION
Yesterday, after months of fighting in court, the City was forced to release 5 recorded phone conversations between Officer’s Adam Ickes, Thomas Warwick, and the now fired Lt. Michael Janiskee. These conversations were related to a November...