Public Health and Safety Committee Meeting - October 27, 2025
Public Health and Safety Committee Meeting - October 27, 2025
The Public Health and Safety Committee convened on October 27, 2025, to address critical community safety issues, including the implementation of new truck route ordinances, police body camera release protocols, transportation service reliability, and various municipal contracts. The meeting featured extensive public testimony advocating for expanded truck route enforcement citywide, immediate release of unedited police footage, and greater accountability in law enforcement and city services.
Consent Calendar
- Line Items 7.2 & 8.18: Approved contracts for DDOT fleet cameras/spar parts and bus transmission repair services without objection.
- Line Item 7.1: Approved contract for CVI (Community Violence Intervention) services after discussions regarding resolution.
- Line Items 8.9 & 8.10: Approved emergency demolition contracts for residential properties without objection.
- Line Item 8.14: Approved grant funding for HIV medical and supportive services administration.
- Line Item 8.15: Approved contract for specialized crowd protection barriers.
- Line Items 8.16 & 8.17: Approved transportation technology time extension and street sign fee adjustment (Item 8.16 sent to new business for further review of funding).
- Line Items 8.19, 8.20, 8.21, 8.22, 8.23: Approved audit support, received and filed dangerous building findings, and concurred with deferrals.
- Line Item 8.24-8.25: Approved appropriation increase and banner installation resolution.
- Line Item 8.27: Received and filed memo regarding zoning hearings.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Supporters of Truck Route Ordinance: Multiple speakers, including Ed Geese (48209), Eden Bloom (District 4), Karen Catless (Southwest Detroit), Carolyn Hughes, and Katie Morelli (Breathe Free Detroit), expressed strong support for expanding the truck ordinance citywide and emphasized the urgent need for active enforcement and resources to reduce pollution and noise in neighborhoods beyond Southwest Detroit.
- Opponents of Police Ordinance Draft: Speakers including Shay Howell (Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability), Alexandra Fields, William Davis (former Police Commissioner), and members of the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression expressed strong opposition to the proposed incident footage ordinance. They argued the 30-day release timeline is too slow, that editing (specifically redaction and slowing footage) creates opportunities for narrative manipulation, and that the ordinance fails to cover non-violent misconduct (e.g., harassment, discrimination) or stop-and-frisk incidents.
- Concerns Regarding Privacy and Integrity: Jacob Smith (DAARPR) and other callers voiced deep distrust regarding the police department's integrity, stating the ordinance contains loopholes allowing the union to withhold footage and that AI distortion of video is a risk. They demanded the release of raw, unedited footage immediately.
- Support for Retirees and Housing: Several speakers, including a caller representing retirees and William Davis, expressed concern and opposition regarding the lack of action on retired worker wages and pension costs, and the aggressive zoning changes affecting housing stability.
Discussion Items
- DDOT Service Update (Director Kramer): Director Kramer reported that while revenue miles were temporarily below target (90% or less) due to a summer shortage of buses and drivers, the situation is rapidly improving with the arrival of 15 new 2025 model buses and 45 more expected by year-end. Ridership is up 9% year-over-year. Plans are underway for January service recutting to optimize routes, specifically targeting the evening shift to address the current worst on-time performance times. A new Community Health Liaison is also being hired.
- Incident Footage Ordinance (Member Callaway): Councilmember Callaway, supported by Law Department and DPD, defended the ordinance as a "good start" and a "beginning document" analogous to the U.S. Constitution, comparing it to a process that requires future amendments. He stated the 30-day timeline is necessary to allow for investigation, redaction of PII/witness safety, and resource planning. He noted the current policy already releases officer-involved shooting videos within 30 days, and this ordinance expands that scope.
- Legal Clarifications: Attorney Graham Anderson clarified that "editing" primarily involves redaction (blurring faces) and slowing down playback or adding call-out boxes for clarity, not altering facts. He confirmed the ordinance covers incidents involving firearm discharge, non-lethal weapons causing death/great bodily harm, or force resulting in death/great bodily harm. He explicitly stated the ordinance does not currently cover stop-and-frisk or non-violent harassment, though these could be added in future amendments.
- Contract Reviews: Members discussed specific contracts, including bringing 8.7 (2573 Helen) back to TBD pending a gas cut, and 8.8 pending funding source clarification. 8.12 and 8.13 (fire equipment) were sent to new business pending a correction letter and further explanation of the $6M allocation for SCBA units.
Key Outcomes
- Truck Ordinance: Public demand for citywide expansion and enforcement was noted and acknowledged by members, with the office confirming work is ongoing for routes in 48217 and coordination with other districts for the East Side.
- Police Footage Ordinance: The ordinance to amend Chapter 26 regarding the release of incident footage was approved to go to New Business with a recommendation to approve. A motion was made, and despite the Chair stating an objection, the clerk noted no other objections, and the item was sent to New Business for final council review.
- DDOT Contracts: Several contracts for repairs, camera systems, and new buses were approved or sent to New Business, with a specific focus on restoring on-time performance by the end of the year.
- Fire Department: A $6.1M contract for replacing SCBA units was sent to New Business pending correction paperwork, with confirmation that units are at end of life (15-year cycle) and need immediate replacement for 600 firefighters.
- Budget Adjustments: Various contract increases for HVAC repairs (8.11) and building demolitions were approved or deferred for clarification.
Meeting Transcript
And about um sixty percent on Clark Street, where there is um still Mayberry Elementary School. And so we know that the goal is zero trucks. We need to see police enforcement and appropriate resources directed to assure that the Southwest Trucks routes are effective, but also to uh make sure that we're targeting um the problem areas in other parts of the city um to relieve other communities of the semi-trucks. And uh, we know some infrastructure projects are coming, um, but we need to see some serious commitments very soon uh about the what's happened with Russia City and to make these resources possible. Thank you. Um good morning. I just want to say uh shout out to Chairwoman uh Gabriel and Santar Grammer for coming to my church uh yesterday and also Councilmember Mary Waters. I want to say Scott Benson, you have uh very damning evidence that DTE is in your district um making solar fields out of homes that should not be torn down. I just talked to a contractor, he was at 17409 Brush Street in District 3. It's listed as Highland Park Online, but it is district three, and the home was being torn down because it had uh, I believe I think they said there was uh asbestos inside. But the contractor specifically told me this is a privileged white man from the suburbs. He told me that DT Energy is a reason why these homes are being torn down. He said that the narrow the neighborhood and area was rough, but he said that uh DTE is pushing people out. He said there's a lot of crime, but you don't push, you don't tear down homes to push out crime. You solve the issues, you find the underlying issues. I've also found a lot more homes that don't need to be demolished in your district and also a lot more homes that are unborded in your district. And I'm going to come to your satellite office and present those addresses again, as I've done in the past because you're not doing a good job as a steward of your community in your district. Thank you. Thank you. We'll hear next from Ed, followed by Eden, followed by Quasi. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Hi, Ed. My name's Ed Geese. I live in 48209. I'm here for the truck routes ordinance. And uh originally I had a public comment prepared as part of a citywide truck ordinance uh Zoom meeting that we had, and uh, and it doesn't apply anymore because where I live, um there's been a significant, not complete, but significant reduction in uh trucks, and myself and my neighbors are extremely grateful for it, and people talking about being able to sleep better at night, okay, and all the other things that we've been talking about for decades related to trucks, but just incredibly grateful, and uh in addition to ensuring uh enforcement in Southwest, I want the same thing for other Detroit neighborhoods because there are a lot of people on the Zoom call. Sorry. Thank you, Ed. Appreciate you. We will now hear from Eden, followed by Quasey, followed by Mr. Foster. Yes, uh good morning, uh Public Health and Safety Committee members. My name is Eden Bloom. My family live on the east side in the newly redistrict in the district four there. Um and I'm here to speak in support of expanding the uh truck traffic ordinance and to insist it be backed by real enforcement. I want to thank everybody that works so hard to get this going in southwest Detroit. Uh they're long overdue and a vital first step. But on the east side, we're seeing a great deal of protect of reindustrialization, old plants coming online, new logistic hubs arriving, and truck traffic intensifying in neighborhoods that already carry a heavy environmental load. Um with this comes an increase in waste hauling and hazardous materials moving through our streets. Um as federal oversight shrinks, Detroit's elected officials must act with foresight to establish care protections for residents and expect expectations for industrial players, old and new. Detroit's truck road policy can't stop at one district, it must protect every community. When a driver cuts time on Kircheville, they increase the risk to residents living in the mansions on Burns as well as the homes on Beneto. Thank you for moving this forward. Thank you. And uh I think it's weak. I think it's not uh going far enough to uh express countability. Uh a friend of mine was just recently killed by a law enforcement officer who worked for the state. And I don't mean to conflate the city and the state, but I live in the city and the state. And uh the family could not see the uh video for over 30 days. Again, that was the state police.
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