It's a violent crime.

And so I can assure you that you're gonna see things change in that arena.

And I'm saying this publicly before council and to the rest of the community as well.

I have not seen so many be on the lookouts for property crime since I've been chief or ever a member of the department.

It they're putting they're putting their faces everywhere, sending it to the media.

And it's not to embarrass anyone, but it's like we have to be able to identify these individuals, somebody know who it is, and we need to also get them the help that they need because some folks have substance abuse disorders and issues as well.

And so I work very closely with James White, who's the CEO of D Wynn and work very closely with 36th District Court Judge McConaco to make sure that when they are apprehended, that when they get to the court that they receive the type of help that they need as well, because um Madam Mayor isn't about just the overall arrest or criminalization of Detroiters, but it's a whole intervention prevention and aspect where we're gonna work to try to get people on the right path, but also protect the citizens of Detroit property because there's nothing more disturbing or aggravate you more than when somebody steal your stuff.

So when somebody stole my Amazon package, I would be so upset about it.

I I know I would be, and I know that other Detroiters are as well, just like with motor vehicle theft, and so utilizing technology, um, our neighborhood police officers, they have also received the message as well.

Where we're good when it comes to um a lot of them focused on the community events and um throwing those type of things, but really being in the neighborhood addressing those quality of life type issues is their new focus as well.

And so when it comes to um um home security surveys, when it comes to business security surveys, what can we do also to help the residents help us as well by um Mr.

Terman police language that we call target hardening?

That just means making it harder for somebody to steal your stuff or take your property.

So our neighborhood police officers, when you talk to them, you can ask them.

Chief said that y'all are really focused on property crimes, you can test me.

Um that's what we're focused on.

Our detectives in the detective unit, uh, they're really focused on those property crimes as well.

And just because we're focused on that, that doesn't mean we're gonna take our eye off the ball when it comes to the violent crime.

So thank you, ma'am.

Yeah, thank you for that.

I think what's what people want to see is that there's some level of investigation that's being done, so you don't continue to see the same people committing crimes throughout the the community, um, because it does become it feels like just a nuisance.

This person is just being a nuisance throughout the community, in addition to the packages, I've seen um a particular area, their vehicles are um people are just going into their vehicles, just ram ransacking their vehicles uh and taking whatever they can find.

So if if people know that it's a focus of the department, I think we'll see less of it.

Um and so just hope that you know we can we can do that collectively, and I will say that Officer Pitts in the fifth precinct is always letting people know that he will come out and if you need to cut your shrubs back or you know add a light here or there or whatever to help harden their uh property, he has been willing to do that.

So thank you for that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I just want to say thank you, Chief, for all your service.

Thank you for keeping us safe.

And uh yes, I've been out with the CVI groups walking door to door, playing ball on the playground and talking to CVI moms, so I really appreciate that and all the work that you're doing, all the people in all this and all the work you're doing as well.

Um I wanted to ask you really quickly about um one the co-mental health uh program.

You're saying that it doesn't cover a million dollars.

Are are you are you taking more money out of this budget in order to make up that difference?

Because that was supposed to be covered under the ARPA funds.

And I just want to know from your perspective, and the reason why it is because I made the appropriation.

So I just want to know from your perspective, was it because the money was too short?

Was because that money was damned elsewhere.

And can you tell me how what the um impact that has been on crime and quality of life in the city training and and don't hesitate to really kind of impress me and laying on thick since I am the sponsor of that legislation?

Um council member Tate, I'm I'm sorry, what um President Tate through the chair, Councilmember Young, pro Tim Young, I gotta get the title.

Yeah, let me put the respect.

Yeah, yeah, I appreciate it.

Pro Tim Um Young, thank you so much for um really championing this.

Um I'm not sure I understand the question completely.

When I talked about uh mental health co-response, what I what I had alluded to is um I have a day shift and I have an afternoon shift.

It just doesn't cover midnights.

So when I came in as chief, um, when I looked at it and had a conversation with the former chief, um James White, and um he was his goal was to get it there, and so in the spirit of continuous improvement, I was like, we have to get there.

And so this year um we are definitely going to get there.

And so hiring and training the behavioral health specialists, um, getting the additional officers there.

And so I've I've identified the officers within the budget, they're getting trained, and uh we've been able to hire behavioral health specialists, and so within the next let me um turn and ask assistant chief you what's my timeline 30 days, Chief.

So within 30 days when residents call 911 in this um um a situation where one of their loved ones or someone is experiencing an episode um, and if it's at two o'clock in the morning, then you will be able to still get a behavioral health specialist along with the appropriate officers.

They have a different uniform, um, they have specialized training above and beyond, they have additional additional tools that the regular patrol officers don't have, even though we have trained the I would say 98% of our force in mental health first aid, but CIT crisis intervention training and co-response takes it to that next level.

Um and we also based off of um your support, we took it to the next level where we have behavioral health specialists embedded in our 911 um call center so that we're able to offer people the type of assistance and oftentimes um divert them to the appropriate resource without even having to send a response unit out.

But when we do have to rescind a sponsor unit out, we're sending um our our co-response or um officers that have the specialty training.

And from the budgetary standpoint, um, even though I didn't get it, I know um my CFO, he he understands it.

Through the chair, uh Ms.

Pro Time, uh yes, the uh mental health correspondence, the uh positions that were funded through ARPA are now funded through the uh health department.

Okay.

Uh however, uh DPD, as I mentioned uh earlier in the presentation, has received uh or is asking to receive the almost $300,000 for training, and we do have our current uh 23 of them uh I've been told uh police officers that are part of that CIT and our trained in mental health area that work with the health department to make that happen.

So we do have that portion in our budget.

So you so you had that that was my question.

My question was one, was it a financial issue that you had in terms of that?

I think what you're saying is just that it's not financial, you have the money, it's just the implementation process.

Absolutely, and you're just you're still going through that implementation process of how that is.

So I just want to make sure I thought at first it was the money, like, wait a minute, we appropriate a million dollars, where does money go?

Okay, so I'm glad that uh I'm glad you did that.

I also wanted to say this as well.

Um in when I go and I talk to uh my constituents, particularly in the senior city buildings and apartment buildings, there's are there's incidents of a lot of crime and incidents going on in these communities.

Uh I live right around the corner from Sheridan too.

There was a shootout not too long ago last year that took place.

Um I also went to Roberts too.

They also talk about a lot about crime in these buildings.

And let me say this first and foremost, congratulations on the the murder rate that you have in terms, I mean, 165 is too many, but it's much lower than what it was before.

So I mean, congratulations to you.

I'm not trying to take away from you in any way, shape, or form.

But I would say I think that this has been a problem.

And my father had a program called police mini stations, where they actually had police officers in certain, you know, strip malls or areas, they might have one or two police officers in that area.

I was thinking, could we have something like that in certain in actual, you know, in targeted areas, and and I'll give you like the map of where I think it should go or whatever else, but in targeted areas where you have police officers actually in the buildings physically, or is that something that through your micro policing program, I think it's serve-protect, you would address that that way.

And just tell me why would it be better if you were to address it through micropolicing than it would be if you brought back the police mini stations program.

Pro Tim, um when you with police mini stations, um, it takes away visibility from our officers.

Okay.

You're putting them inside of a building and you're waiting on the community to really come to them.

Okay.

And so uh the better approach where I maximize the resource is create more visibility by having them go where they're needed and directing.

And so Mayor Sheffield, just like just like your priority, seniors are her priority as well.

And our neighborhood police officers, um, they have also um been directed to spend more time in the senior citizen buildings.

My narcotics unit has been focusing on senior buildings too, because oftentimes um is narcotics trafficking that goes on there.

And so we've had bust, we're spending a lot of time getting inside the senior buildings, working along with the management, and we're addressing um the various behavior of that, and then going back to the educational component of the target hardening from the building.

So teaching residents how not to become victims of whether you know, if it's the first and the third of the month, and you have another component that'll go in and try to take advantage of them to get their checks.

And so the DPD is aware of it, and um if you talk to the senior buildings, what they'll probably tell you is they've recently seen a lot more police officer presence in their buildings.

And so we're gonna be there.

I'll be spending time there as well.

Um, but this is a priority for us.

And I think what we need to do and what DPD will do is when we have the various um successful initiatives, making sure that this council that you're all made aware of it so that you will be able to, you know, spread the news as well, and it has a deterrent effect when people understand and know that we're there because the great band will let the perpetrators know that this is what's being done, and that DPD is coming to a senior building near you real quick as well.

No, I think that's a good point.

I I would just say, if I just provide a little pushback, I I would just say one, I think that having police officers there is a deterrence for crime that's going on, because you have people who are breaking in the buildings, they're selling drugs in the buildings, they're breaking in the community rooms, they're sleeping in the community rooms, and so I think they have a police officer present there.

I think deters a lot of that and keeps people safe.

But but I but I understand what you're saying.

I'm not I'm not I'm not taking away from that.

And then I just wanted to ask this and then I'll and then I'm gonna wrap up.

Um I also wanted to ask the issue of you were talking about shell casings, and you were talking about going out there and collecting shell cases.

That seems, and I think that's a great thing that you're doing, but that seems like a lot of intense manual work.

Have you ever thought about automating that in terms of using shell uh casing, catching robots, and there are robots that do that.

Have you thought about that at all?

And if not, I will try to convince you why you should.

Well, Pro Tim, I'm I'm always um, I have a listening ear, and I'm always ready for you to convince me.

Okay.

Um I haven't got to that point yet.

Um we work very closely with the ATF.

We even send you I'll invite you out so you can see how labor intensive it is, but we have our um we we have you know, our metal detector things, and um we put on a big show when we're looking for those shell cases.

I even got shellcasing sniffing dogs, and you know, they go out as well so that we don't miss a shell casing, and it has a deterrent effect because oftentimes people in the neighborhood are like, what are they doing?

And it's like we're getting those shell casings.

And so if you were out there shooting the night before, and your shell casings are out there, and you see us getting your shell casings, um, it creates a lot of anxiety, and so it stops people who were shooting for fun um from shooting.

And so, for one of the metrics that um Councilmember Johnson um asked us to be able to bring, and I'll bring that back, is um a reduction where you have shot spotter being able to quantify and show where the number of shots fired typically goes down because after they see the show that we deliver as well, um, I believe that that has a deterrent effect, but I want to be able to bring the actual data to you.

But I hear what you're saying, especially when it comes to our senior citizen places as well.

So I'm committed that when you have issues like that in your senior buildings, we're gonna be there, we'll be doing our spot checks, and our officers that go through there connecting them with the management so that we have access to that whole building so that we're walking the stairwells as well.

So if you could direct us, and I'll work closely with your office, you direct me and let me know where the problem is.

We're gonna go there and not and stick and stay until we actually get it addressed.

Want to work with the management, and I know that one of our approaches is working holistically with other city entities.

So it's not just the DPD, but it's gonna be the BC with Dave Bell, it's gonna be us holistically working together to make sure that we address the problems that's happening in the senior buildings.

No, actually, that's what I'm really glad to hear that was my heart to hear that.

I just want to say uh if you supported the shell case of collection robots, your CapEx would be 1 million to 5 million, that's your capital um investment.

Your operating cost, your capital cost, your operating costs be 500,000 to 2 million.

Uh your savings would be 1 million to 3 million labor, it'd be 40 to 70 percent faster evidence.

Your return on investments would be very high.

Your gun crime clearance would go up.

And so I will give you this information and more.

I will send this to you.

I don't expect you to remember all this to the top of your head.

Um, this is not a quiz, so I'm not gonna test you afterwards, but I'll give you that information further.

I just want to say uh thank you so much for your time and thank you for all that you do.

I appreciate your service.

Uh, Mr.

Uh President, if I may, I'd like to make uh a couple motions.

Yes, sir.

When I like to make a motion to move to closing resolution, um the um God was the um I like to move to closing resolution, the mini police stations in terms of I like to move.

I like to move the closing.

I was like to move to close the resolution that the city of Detroit adopt the uh readopt the uh mini police stations policy.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Okay.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

I would also like to move to uh executive session, uh shell casing collection robots.

That's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objection?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

One to five mil.

Okay.

Um I would also like to move to um executive session of the hospital violence intervention program.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

I am done.

Thank you so much, sir.

Appreciate you guys.

Thank you.

Member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you, Chief, to you and your team.

Um and Director Petillal, did I see you yesterday?

Okay, are you a Sor?

Okay.

Um I see another sore roll over there in the second row.

There we go.

Um, so um, Director Petillo, thank you for using your expertise yesterday, helping to protect 800 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

You did a marvelous job.

You use all of your techniques, all of your skills, and all of your experience to keep us all safe.

And we had a wonderful afternoon at NG at the NGM Grand Ballroom.

So thank you very much, Sor Roar Patello.

Thank you.

I did not know you were uh sorry that changes everything.

It changes everything.

It changes everything around here.

So Director Patilla, whatever you need from my office, 224 4535, Sor.

You did a she did an amazing job.

There were 800 of us yesterday assembled.

And um, she had her banner on.

It said um risk management or something.

What did it say?

Through the chair.

Through the chair, yes, risk management.

And did you also stand there and tell us how to stay safe and if there was an emergency, what to do?

I did.

Okay.

And were we all safe yesterday?

All 800 of us in pink and green.

Over 815, yes, we were.

Oh, it was 815.

850.

Oh, 850 of us.

Okay.

Thank you for um indulging us, um, Mr.

Chair.

Yes, ma'am.

I had to get that off.

Okay.

Um, I've already submitted my question, so I really don't um have any questions.

I want to thank you, Chief, and to the amazing members of 12th precinct, Commander uh McCord and Sergeant McGee and all the MPOs, they do an amazing job.

Um the police commissioners, um, our police commissioner Lavish Williams, and I know when Member Waters brought up towing, I kind of saw I looked, I locked in to um President Committee.

Are you still the president of the commission through the chair, Mr.

Woods?

I locked in on you because I remember you had a negative experience with the towing company about a year or so ago, and I watched it on TV and you handled it with such professionalism and grace, so we know about the towing companies and the our experiences with them, and they're not always positive.

So I locked in and when I and and when she brought that up, I I saw the uh expression on your face.

I'm hoping someone um chief will be at the 39th anniversary of the Green Acres Woodwork Citizens Radio Patrol Anniversary dinner tonight, buffet style.

I know you usually come, but if we can make sure if we can make sure someone is there tonight, that would be amazing.

Um and then my last thing through the chair.

Um I made sure everyone got one of these um panelists, and I made sure my colleagues got um got a copy of this.

It's called the National League of Cities Wellness Room, and I was in DC last week, and um the experience was amazing.

Commissioner Angelique Peterson Mayberry, who is my commissioner back there on the second row to my far right.

If you can stand up, police commissioner.

I mean, I'm sorry.

Wayne County Commissioner, Angelique Peterson Mayberry.

Um, and um that's that's that's my commissioner for Wayne County, and she and I have been talking about wellness rooms for um, we just focus in on the 12th precinct, but we know that we need to establish these wellness rooms in each and every pre precinct if they're not already there.

Um whatever the funding will be required.

I am going to put this conversation into executive session and the closing resolution.

They're called wellness rooms.

We can call them recenter rooms, we can call them relaxation rooms, so we're always talking about mental health and wholeness and wellness for our residents and our citizens.

But our commissioners need this, and everyone on um that we're Navy Blue and represent DPD, also need the same services, mental wholeness and wellness.

They need to have a space in their precinct where they can just wind down, and there's different spaces in that one space that I think we can develop.

Meditation, calmness.

They have a sound room, it's just wonderful, even a massage chair, something to relieve the pressure and the stress that we know the men and women in blue can sometimes experience, but they have to hold it in because they're trying to make sure our mental wellness is whole.

But they also need the same services that they render.

So I'm going to make a motion, Mr.

Chair, if I may, to put the wellness rooms, however, we want to call them.

We can we can flush that out later um for DPD, um, starting in maybe some pilot programs into executive session and into the closing resolution.

That's my motion, sir.

Oh thank you so much.

Uh, there is a motion on the floor, colleagues, with discussion.

Um Chief.

Um thank you, Mr.

President, and Councilmember Callaway.

Definitely this is so needed, and uh I thank you so much for this.

Um I was listening when um Chief Judge McConaco was here, and one of the things that you praised him for was with the grant dollars and you know being able to go out and um you know bring some money to the table that way, and so uh um some of the workout rooms and facilities that we've been able to get inside of our precinct stations.

We have actually uh we have a wonderful philanthropic community in the city of Detroit who has stepped up.

And I know over the over at the fourth precinct, I was just there and they're doing amazing work.

Um they just redid our whole workout facility room, and so um in some of our other precincts, and it's other individuals, and so with this, um, I would love to be able to work with you, but I I actually know um um different individuals who would love to do this, and it wouldn't cost the taxpayers a dime.

So if if if you could allow me to try to be like Chief Judge McConaco, you and I can work on this.

And yes, sir.

It wouldn't even cost us a dime.

Yeah, and we can start at the 12th precinct since the fourth through the chair.

Of course, we can start at the amazing 12th precinct, which commissioner uh Angelique Peterson Mayberry has already been working on.

They're already selecting colors, calming colors.

But yes, uh, Chief, it would be my honor and privilege to work with you, and um that is my motion, sir, and thank you, Chief Edison, for that.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

And that is it for me.

All right, thank you so much.

Uh member Benson.

Thank you.

Um thank you, Chief and the entire team.

You guys are super responsive.

Whenever we need something, you guys come through uh working closely with the 11th with the ninth precinct now with the 12th precinct that stretches into the third district now, stretches into, and so just really glad to uh have this type of working relationship with you all.

In addition, um my police commissioner, the third district police commissioner, uh Mr.

Morris is here as well.

I also want to make sure that I acknowledge my fraternity brother from the original fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Attorney Incorporated.

And I know we have a neophyte brother who is in the gallery to Neophyte brothers.

Two of two neophyte brothers.

Can they stand?

And who might those be?

Don't be shy.

It's too late to be shy now.

There we go.

Boom.

Hi, there we go.

Just wanted to make sure that we acknowledge those as well, the original man.

Um so we had a conversation to have a conversation when we were both uh speaking on behalf of the uh big P and Little P for the drug prevention, youth drug prevention, youth substance prevention conference in Maryland, and a number, and uh Mr.

Miles was there.

Um we have a number of police commissioners who were there with us as well, um, including our new uh CBI uh director for the city of Detroit.

But the conversation that I want to talk about is the one of public safety and security within our parks.

So as the parent of a young child who now uses our parks on a regular basis, our rec centers, they do not always support young families in an environment that where you want to take your child.

And so last year I made the request that GSD and DPD work together to correct that.

The response I got back was one of disappointment because it was not taken up.

There was a budget challenge saying that we couldn't work together.

So there was at one time I understand, a task force or a special force of GSD security as well as DPD officers that would directly support safety at our parks.

And so, and this is an example a regional draw for soccer for Detroit Parks and Rec is Chandler Park.

Um, after school, we have practice there.

You have the dome on the weekends now, in the evenings in the mornings, and on Saturday mornings, you have the actual fields, but in the afternoon, when it's warm, the behavior changes from adults, and so you'll see people on ATVs, um, dirt bikes illegal, number one to be on the city street, and then driving recklessly through the park.

Dangerous to our families there.

Number two, you'll have open loo lascivious behavior, not something that you want to expose your young children to, have to deal with it.

You also have open air drug use.

Understand that marijuana is the legal substance, but it's not legal to be smoked openly and the park, and it's just not a good look for our families who were trying to engage in our sports activities and to utilize our recreation services.

Open open alcohol, not legal in any of our parks or in the city of Detroit, and so not having DPD or GSD really focus on that type of behavior.

It reduces your willingness or desire to utilize our services.

And that at one time was the default behavior at Bell Isle.

That has since changed.

And so you see a huge shift when it comes to who uses those type of facilities to more towards family, because that behavior is no longer tolerated.

I'm hoping that we can get back to that.

I'm hoping it's if that's the behavior you want to do, do that your home.

That that's your home.

You can act lewd and serious all you want, you can smoke your marijuana if you like, you can use your drugs if you like, you can drink your liquor.

But I just don't think that's appropriate.

I actually know it's not appropriate, at our parks, which really should be there for everybody, not just a few who choose to behave in that way.

And it seems to be anti-social behavior as well, because it's not welcoming to everybody.

It's like we get to do this, this is now our area.

You all there who want to use the soccer field and your kids, you should go someplace else.

I'm hoping that we could look to make just basic law, this complying with the law okay again in our in our parks, because right now, when you go, it doesn't seem like that is a priority for our residents.

Speak to that, please, and how we can get compliance there.

Yeah, um, through the chair, councilman Benson.

You know, you're spot on.

Um, the quality of life, our conversation.

Um, and immediately when I got back, um, I had a conversation with first AC Fitzgerald, and so we are going to have a park detail, but um eight first AC.

You can speak to the efforts and what we're gonna do to ensure that the parks are safe for our children.

Yeah, absolutely.

And through the chair, uh Councilman Benson.

Um, sometimes our challenges are can be just simple staffing challenges.

And we uh we're doing the end, the and the end, and that's what we're going to do again.

Uh some of our precincts have dedicated park details.

Uh number five, number seven, number three.

So we have even more coverage later through the night.

Uh, and then even during the day, once again, I know the chief has mentioned our MPOs.

Our MPOs are going to be tasked with doing a lot more.

And they they work incredible.

They do they really do.

I'm not taking anything away from them, but they can always do more.

Uh because we all have to do more.

Uh, and the as staffing is what it is, we we're going to continue to add more and add more, and then we're also going to add metrics that we can actually ensure that they're going through and doing those things.

Uh, much like we do for some of our scout car areas that are problematic.

We we run our AVL, we run our GPS in our vehicles to make sure that we we're having officers go somewhere, they're actually going there.

So it'll all be added uh into our ComStat program, and it's kind of where we're at at this point as we move forward.

You want to say something, Chief?

No, he he was spot on.

Um, as far as everybody having to do more, and then with um it's for our neighborhood police officers.

I know that in the past has been a lot of uh of events.

Um I want to ensure that they're really delivering when it comes to the quality of life and things that only police can do, but still what the community wants them to do, so that the community will be able to enjoy their parks and things of that nature.

Um, and so um not just working per se the day shift per se, but you know, being available throughout, and then really going back to the point where it comes to the integrity of their geographic area as well, where um every area within the city of Detroit, you're gonna know your neighborhood police officer um it not just the few people, but really um honed in so that you know they know exactly in in a defined area how many churches it is, how many senior homes, and that they're going through hitting it, and that they're going back court neat and giving the information to the precinct staff at the roll call so that they're not expected to do it, but get the information back so that um the shift officers, the special ops will be able to give it the special attention that they need because the neighborhood police officer has that connectivity with the neighborhood, and oftentimes they are the conduit between what the community is telling them so that they can get it back to the shift, our special ops, and everyone else.

So they're like a mini captain and commander of the precinct because they actually have that trust.

And so I've already met with the neighborhood police officers, they're fired up, they're ready to go, and we're just gonna get out there and really engage and double down.

But the neighborhood police officers um main focus will be, you know, like I said, the property crimes and the quality of life type things and the conflict resolution circling around with the senior citizen places.

And so you'll say, well, how are they gonna do all that?

They have a certain area that they're responsible for, so they're like the mini chief of their scout car area.

And so I also hope that you all will work closely with GSD.

I know they have their own security force as well.

Absolutely have the same um powers as our law enforcement officers, but I'm hoping that we'll leverage that resource also.

And then for the families, I mean it's really those prime times.

There's not an expectation that we have officers there 24-7, but there should be an expectation if I'm taking my child to the park that just unlawful behavior should not and will not be tolerated, which will then allow more families to feel welcome there.

And then if you just look at where we are as a city competitive, our recreation is one of our most competitive areas.

I mean, we have put a significant level of money and investment into our parks.

Uh Farwell Park, we're getting a several mile-long pathway.

We've had a number of other investment.

We have a brand new basketball court, and so the expectation should be that if I live in my neighborhood, I can come and utilize the park and not be pushed away based on antisocial or unlawful behaviors.

I'm really hoping that you all will combine forces to make that happen.

And then, Mr.

Chair, I have making a motion to place the police department budget may have already been done into executive session specifically around support for enforcement in our parks and recreation centers.

All right.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

I do also want to before they acknowledge uh Mr.

Wood, who was also in Maryland with us uh for that conference and just having DPD, our police commissioners and city council working with our youth substance.

Now there's a new term misuse uh advocates working around the big P and a little P is huge.

So just really glad that we could all come together on that type of issue is that you know what we can do and what we can accomplish and how wild the national audience at that conference was based on how we work together when that is not the norm around the country and what's been done with the different levels, the different groups, the different elected officials to get that done.

So just wanted to acknowledge that as well.

Councilman Benson, I'll also ensure that um in those areas where we have our CVI coverage that they're covering down on the parks as well.

So not only will it be GSD, DPD, um CVI in their respective area.

So all of us coming together and um the mayor's newly created office of Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety.

All of us.

All right, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Colleagues, any uh last final uh motions.

See none, chief closing statement.

Just big thank you.

Um as you can see with the one um picture of me smiling and walking and just being aesthetically happy.

Um that's because of this council.

Um you have supported me.

And so all the my biggest my biggest thing is just be of say I'm one of the luckiest police chiefs in America.

I have to be because I have the support of my mayor.

Um I have the support of this council, the board of police commissioners, um, Eva Garza the Walsh, um, Vice Chair Woods, they have been extremely supportive as well.

So I'm thankful for my board of police commissioners, my um my my staff, my staff is amazing.

I got the best exec team um I I would say in the country, and I tell them all the time.

I mean, of course, I believe that this is the best the department has been since I've seen it.

I mean, we're solving crimes.

We got a high closure rate, is being able to catch individuals.

Um, we want to work and we're constantly working on the preventative to stop them from you know doing it in the first place to be able to expire our inspire um our young people so that um uh they understand and can see their full potential.

But um the men and women of the DPD are doing it each and every day.

Not only are we catching individuals, not only are we preventing crimes, but we're responding fast as well.

You've been around a long time.

President, you've been around a long time.

Many of you have been around when uh going back years in the past where folks used to always talk about the fact that they called the police and you know they didn't come, nobody showed up.

I'm listening to you as well.

We're always working on risk mitigation mitigation.

You know, how can we um be better and reduce a risk?

And so we're working um to do that.

We we didn't talk about the actual training aspect of it, but we put things in place as far as the training of our recruits when it comes to driving.

We got some new equipment there.

We got this thing called a skito that um shows them how to maneuver vehicles better without um getting into accidents.

So I'm gonna get you over there so you can see it and let you drive it too.

Um how we put in the Hans alert.

So I just want to let you know that we're responsive, that we're listening, and we appreciate the feedback that we get from this body.

Um Pro Tim Young, thank you.

And so I was listening, I'm listening to it when it comes to that um the the technology that you talked about.

I want to hear a whole lot more about it, and I'm opening to um listening and doing whatever we can because I know as my good brother Durr Woods always say, we're better together.

So thank you.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Send our all our best to the men and women of the Detroit Police Department.

Thank you all for the work that you all do.

Thank you.

This will now close out the uh budget hearing for the Detroit Police Department.

Detroit Police Department, we move and out the way and make the way for the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners.

Budget hearing.

In the intro, while the transition is taking place, Member Callaway brought up a very good uh segue.

I was going to move this item uh later on, but this wellness room, you and I talked about it briefly.

I received an email from uh a member of I won't say what department, but she works in the in the city of Detroit, works in this building, and was requesting a quiet room for religious purposes.

She also indicated that uh she has seen how effective it is with those who have uh other challenges that they would like to that they have to deal with throughout the the work day.

And uh I would like to place into executive session, colleagues.

If I can please get a motion uh for um uh this a quiet room in the Colman A Young Municipal Center.

Don't know how and where, how much it's gonna cost, I don't know where it's gonna be, because I know for a fact that this building is extremely tight as it relates to spacing, uh, because we've tried to get some spaces.

Um, but we'll have that conversation as we move forward.

Can I get a can I get a motion on anybody?

Thank you so much.

There's a motion on the floor with further discussion.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I wonder if you would consider you and Member Callaway would consider a sensory room.

Well, there are some people that um may have ADHD or you know, a need a sensory room or anyone who may be autistic.

Yep, so since I was kind of leading there, sensory and/or quiet room.

Um, but whatever that configuration looks like, um we we have to discuss it as amended.

And we'll get you that memo uh coming your way as well.

Thank you so much.

I got eight.

All right.

Board of police commissioner, come on down, y'all.

Come on down.

Don't be shy.

Y'all have been so patient all day.

And we again appreciate your patience.

I know we are a bit behind, but you know, it is a season.

It is a season.

Thank you for your patience.

I thank you for your work that you do on a regular basis as well.

Thank you.

All right, Madam Chair, thank you for being here as well and your uh time on the commission.

And uh, when you would like, please introduce yourself and the rest of your team, and uh you may begin.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh, dear honorable members of the Detroit City Council, good afternoon.

We greatly appreciate this opportunity to meet with uh you today.

I'm the chair, as was mentioned, Eva Garza DeWalsh, representing the Board of Police Commissioners with me.

Today is our vice chair, uh Commissioner Woods.

We also have uh Commissioner Watts, Woods and Watts were on the budget committee with me.

Um, and as well, we have Commissioners Camille, Morris and Williams was here.

I think he may have left.

Uh, and from the staff, we have our Secretary Garnier, uh, Chief Investigator Warfield, and executive fiscal manager Freeze.

Um, they're joining me at the desk because they'll be answering a lot of the questions that you submitted.

Um, I would like to take this opportunity though to highlight the tremendous work being accomplished by the BOPC over this uh last year.

Uh, we were able to completely eliminate the legacy backlog cases investigated by the BOPC OCI team.

Uh we've had the highest level of partnership with DPD on the DPD budget review in more than a decade, which resulted in the BOPC budget committee aligning with DPD to reduce their fiscal year 27 budget requests by more than 1.4 million of the general Detroit taxpayer funds.

New heights were reached for the efficacy of our policy committee in reviewing all DPD policies led by the BOPC policy committee.

Uh we drastically reduced vacancies on the BOPC staff, including recent promotions for OCI staff members.

Uh we integrated the wing swept case management system into OCI for enhanced efficiency of record keeping and workflow.

And we increased the level of community outreach and bridges being built between the Board of Police Commissioners and Detroit citizens, we serve in order to address the record number of citizens' complaints received in 2025 and to continue to educate the community on the BOPC process and the services available to them.

These are some of the initiatives we have accomplished eagerly and continue to advocate and fight the good fight for us.

And at a time our when our country when civilian oversight is incredibly important and desperately needed.

In order to continue our progress and to uphold our responsibilities as the oversight uh body of the City of Detroit, we are requesting support to regain our baseline general funds that were cut in the mayor's proposed budget for fiscal 20 fiscal year 27 for a total of 148,994.

Most notably is the BOPC travel and training budget line that was eliminated by 110,976.

This includes primarily the NACO the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement NACOL conference.

This conference is foundational to the identity of the BOPC.

It is important that our BOPC board and management staff attend, especially with six newly elected police commissioners, and one vacancy to be filled.

The conference helps BOPC to remain current on best practices, to learn about new technologies and tools for citizens' complaints, management and record keeping systems, and to research and share information on policies and SOPs utilized by other civilian oversight boards across the nation.

I'm proud to say that as the oldest and among the largest oversight boards in the country, Detroit BOPC is viewed as a thought leader in many to many of our colleagues.

Our commissioners have sat on the NACO board, continuously offer advisement, sit on panels at the annual conference, and network regularly throughout the year with numerous boards across the country.

Finally, the BOPC is seeking an increase in their monthly stipend for commissioners from 573 22 to 1,464 95 for the chair and for from 3854 to 1,130 for the commissioners, increasing the total yearly line item from 53,1794 to 1531 seventy-nine forty-four.

The police commissioners have not had an increase since 2012, more than 14 years ago.

Commissioners are required to attend weekly meetings held midday with one evening meeting in the community per month.

We sit on at least one committee, and in most cases, two or more committees that are also meeting biweekly or monthly during the day.

Commissioners review and approve 15 to 45 citizens' complaints each week.

We attend DPD graduations.

At our last two graduations, seven commissioners were in attendance at both.

Promotional ceremonies, community events, and meetings.

Overall, the present stipend is incredibly low compared with other City of Detroit boards, especially considering our attendance requirements.

And even with the proposed stipend increase of 11 of 1,130 per month, our analysis is that it would still be less than the hourly minimum wage in the State of Michigan.

Between regaining the budget baseline, protecting the board's ability to attend NACOL and the proposed stipend increase, the BOPC is seeking in total an additional 248,994 of general funds for fiscal year 27.

We thank you kindly for your consideration.

Let me close by expressing my pride in the progress that BOPC has experienced in community engagement with civilian complaints being received at record levels, all the while our OCI team has cleared the legacy backlog.

The Board of Police Commissioners has many new members this year, and I look forward to working diligently with them to further the progress of civilian oversight for citizens of the City of Detroit.

Thank you for your dedication to the city and your continued support of BOPC.

Thank you.

And I'd like to ask if uh VC Woods would like to just say a couple words if that's okay.

Thank you through the Chair.

Through the Chair, uh thank you for this honorable body for always uh doing God's work here in the City of Detroit, been watching you all very, very carefully.

And you guys have been doing an amazing job in this city.

And uh I want to applaud uh this new board that's coming on board who's rolling up their sleeves on behalf of the citizens of the City of Detroit.

As you can see, uh we kept our promises from a year ago.

Uh we have dedicated ourselves to make sure that citizen complaints get addressed, and we have been doing that in record numbers.

Uh, and every commissioner uh have been taking on these cases and uh looking at these cases of thoughtfully and thoroughly.

Uh the staff has been amazing uh and uh and OCI to be able to make sure that uh we uh uh get these cases on time, and we're getting there.

Uh and I am very, very happy that that happened uh after we left here that we picked it up even more and uh made policy changes to be able to get to these cases more expeditiously uh because that's where our heart and soul is at.

We have held uh held uh police officers accountable.

Uh we have suspended officers without pay when uh need to, uh, and we have done it, you know, it breaks our heart when we have to do that, but we have held them accountable.

Uh we have challenged uh the department uh with their budget uh uh before you got the budget today.

We had it first, and as you see, we say the citizens of Detroit uh want point five million dollars uh because we believe in being fiscally responsible with the city's dollars.

Uh and so uh as you can see, we also have uh have on our website where people can keep up with uh citizen complaints with with our dashboard.

Uh we have continued to build upon that, uh, which is uh uh demonstrate transparency.

Uh and we have also uh held up promotions when we need to, uh, because we're not a rubber stamp for no one.

Uh and uh so if there are some challenges with some of the promotions, we would not hesitate uh uh to stop those promotions because we believe that uh the citizens of City Detroit uh deserve uh dignity and respect.

And so we thank you guys for your great investment uh in this board, and we will continue to uh do everything that we possibly can uh to be able to make the citizens of City Detroit get their services that they deserve, and thank you very kindly for these uh this time for remarks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

President, we're ready to answer any questions in the interest of time.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I will start with uh member Benson.

All right, thank you.

I want to thank you all for being here.

Thank you for your leadership and willing to serve.

Um I am very sensitive to the stipends that we offer to our elected and appointed commissions and boards.

And one of the reasons I'm I'm especially concerned about the BOPC is that the last two election cycles, many of those positions were uncompetitive.

I mean, uh we have a write-in in District 3.

Thank you, Mr.

Morris, for stepping up as well.

But we people didn't take the time to go out.

We in yes, as well.

We had district five also had a uh write in.

But people aren't they're not competitive, which is a concern for me, and I think that that level of compensation, and that which different words, the stipends.

There is a lot of work that goes into that.

And I think there should be some type of just incentive to take the time, the gas, the time that it takes to uh do your public service.

I want to thank you.

So I support that.

So I'm gonna make a motion to put into executive session the Board of Police Commissioner General Fund support for 250,000 dollars.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

And then just quickly, can you please speak to the complaints?

We're seeing BOPC cases uh increasing annually.

Uh 73%.

What's what uh do you have a breakdown of why or any uh indication of why that is, the type of complaints we're seeing and what we're doing, is there something going on?

Some type of leadership training that needs to happen or policy changes on DPD side.

To me, that that signals something that is not positive.

Through the chair, I'm gonna ask uh our OCI chief to respond to that.

Thank you.

Thank you through the chair.

Uh Councilmember uh Benson, thank you so much for that question.

If you look at the history of the Office of the Chief Investigator, from 2012 through 2022, we averaged somewhere around 1,200 complaints a year.

In the last three years, it has ticked up to 1,953 complaints.

Last year we broke that record to 2,145 complaints.

I think there are a number of factors that go uh into the number of complaints that we're receiving.

One, and I think more importantly than anything is that our commissioners are out in the community and they're meeting constantly with the citizens of the city of Detroit, and they're informing them of their rights to actually fill out those complaints and call our offices or go into the precincts and make that make that complaint.

And so we investigate all of them.

I think another thing is um DPD is hiring a lot of officers, and a lot of new officers are coming on board.

And so part of this is officers being acclimated to the streets, understanding what responsibilities and duties are.

One of the things that we've seen in our office that we like from the chief's office is that they have started roll call training.

So when we see trends in our office of certain complaints, um there is a letter that goes out, a memo that goes out to the entire department for seven days that training is read at every roll call to remind members to follow a particular policy where we're seeing issues.

So you know, I I believe it will meter off, but right now that's the trend that it is going in, and I think again, a lot of it is because I think our our commissioners are very active in the community, and citizens uh have great faith in our police commissioners and they're following their lead.

All right, thank you.

And obviously, the the money tree no longer grows on the top of this building, but I I do believe that a reoccurring investment in police oversight is well worth it.

And so and Mr.

Quartz makes sure that that note that that that is a reoccurring, uh that will be a reoccurring number uh for the executive session.

Um and then just want to say you all are very engaged.

Um you come to a number of my large community events, the uh community gets a chance to know who you are, and so just really glad that we have an oversight committee.

And I'm not mistaken, we were the first in the country to have that.

We are the originators, and so there's a lot of history and pride that goes along with that as well.

And so just want to say thank you all for being willing to step up.

And uh it's not always a uh fun place to be.

You find yourself over in direct oversight, and that's your primary job, and so you all come off as uh I'm sure the heavy hands on a regular basis with those that you're in charge of uh oversight of.

So just thank you for being willing to step in and step into that breach.

If you if I may through the chair, uh the UC was on record, but our phone calls, uh, we get phone calls that as you guys do, that's not a part of the record from citizens who have not filed complaints where we have to uh either call the chief or call the assistant chief or the commander to mediate situations in this city uh almost on a daily basis of many uh many of the commissioners, if not all of the commissioners are phones are ringing off the hook, and so this is not even a true depiction in terms of the amount of complaints that we get that's not recorded.

All right, thank you.

And Mr.

Chairs wants one last item.

And so we had Mr.

Teferi Brent, we had Darrell Woods.

The BOPC was really engaged when we were having a huge level of difficulty in the third district and needed to shut down illegal tobacco shops uh that were selling marijuana to high school kids.

I mean, knowingly, wantingly brazenly, and selling tobacco to kids brazenly as well.

And so just really want to say thank you because you all stepped up, didn't have to be there, didn't have to come out, but you all put yourselves in that position.

You made the phone calls, you were very helpful when we were really focused on getting that done.

And so I just really want to say thank you.

That is just another testament to how engaged you are and how passionate you are about ensuring that our community is safe and improving our quality of life.

Just want to say thank you to that as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Uh, pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

And uh always good to see you guys.

First of all, I just want to say Mr.

Wills, thank you so much for working with me on a making sure about the decriminalization of the uh curfew ordinance.

I really appreciate that.

I don't I don't have any questions.

I mean, usually I ask you about artificial intelligence, but I think I made my point, so I can just send the I didn't send you the year that I have, but I just want to say uh the questions I have, but I just want to say thank you so much for all your service and uh I want to thank Member Benson for also talking about um my father, the greatest mayor on earth, a big papa pump, Coleman Young, uh creating uh this um the Board of Police Commissioners and all the work that you do.

And congratulations, man on Chair.

I'm sorry to have a chance to say congratulations to you.

So I look forward to working with you guys in the future.

And I'm thank you so much for your hard work.

I appreciate every day.

I know it's a very difficult task.

And I know we don't give you a whole lot to do it with, but we're thankful for it, and I appreciate it.

So I'll send the questions to you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

The chair, if I could just make a comment.

When we go to the NACL conferences, uh the Detroit Police Commission is highly regarded because we were created among the first, if not the first.

But we also have extraordinary support from our city council.

They a lot of these commissions, oversight commissions, don't have that structure.

And when we talk about it, they're just so impressed that we even have a budget, let alone that we are you know funded, period.

A lot of them are not, but we are highly regarded, and uh we thanks to your dad, you know, for creating this uh this body.

So thank you.

And I will add that uh if no one read uh hard stuff, they need to read hard stuff.

Uh the the autobiography of Coleman Young uh uh study it through and through, and uh it's just a it's uh me the Bible uh for politicians here in the city of Detroit.

Thank you.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good afternoon to all of you.

Um just want to say thank you for responding to my questions.

Uh thank you for doing the hard work um and getting all of the um complaints, the backlog of complaints closed.

I hope that will continue to be the case that you're able to get them addressed in a timely manner, so we don't have anything that's outstanding the way that it had been.

Um and so certainly do appreciate that.

I did just want to ask because when I know that the Board of Police Commissioners was, I believe it was the first, it was started here in the city of Detroit.

So was the um police community relations councils.

Do you all have any interaction with them?

Go ahead.

Uh some of them have been coming to our uh meetings, a couple of them.

I know there was some struggles.

I think uh uh the person maybe I don't know if he was in our district uh or not, but someone came to the meetings, and we he've been calling me and anything we could do to help answer his courses.

We have no, I think he's on the west side and a commissioner can uh Ceneal's district.

Uh so he's attended, and we told him whatever we can do to help.

We are uh don't hesitate to let us know.

You know, so definitely we have been engaged with at least a couple of them.

Thank you for that.

And I'll be sure to encourage the precincts that are in the fourth district to attend your meetings, even if they do it virtually, just for them to get a little closer to the work that you all are doing because it's all about um policing and and making sure that we're doing it well and um that we are supporting the residents throughout the city.

So thank you.

Through the chair, I do attend the uh fourth precinct community relations meetings.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Can you talk to us a little bit about what what the the outreach to young folks?

You know, um the fact that you are oversight agency.

A lot of our young people have a I think that the the it's it's warming now, but uh pretty chilled relationship with our law enforcement, the police department, and especially with what's going on from uh federal agencies.

Talk to us a bit about, and I know, but I want you to be able to put some of that information out there about the work that you all do with young people intentionally through the chair.

I'd like to ask our secretary to talk about our um youth program that we have.

And I can add on to that too.

Right there.

The mic works.

I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question.

Well, just talk to us a bit about what the Board of Police Commissioners do to uh engage um young people.

Our youth program.

I'll start it off.

Uh we have an advisory council.

Uh uh, the advisory council comes to the meetings.

Uh they have uh regular meetings and schedule meetings, and we have a schedule where commissioners uh participate.

And I I'm glad that you asked that question because uh the first time in history, uh I wanted to make sure that some of those uh young people get acknowledged.

Uh so I got with uh uh Mr.

Warfield and I got with with our chairwoman, and I said let's give them a scholarship.

And we did this out of our own pocket.

So we started off with a thousand dollar scholarship uh last year uh for uh a college student uh that's on the advisory council, and then we're going to do another scholarship this year.

We talked about that, and we're gonna do another scholarship.

I hope uh to make that two thousand this year.

You know, uh, and so that's vitally important.

We are often in schools, uh, many other commissioners engaging the young people, uh bridging the gap and letting uh understand uh uh what policing is about and what the police commission is uh uh about and how they can hold police accountable.

Uh sometimes they feel uh like they're being bullied by the police because they're wearing a hoodie uh and all of that.

That's not a reason for an officer to pull them over, and we let them know if they getting pulled over and being harassed because they have a hood on their head, then you can file a complaint and and hold the officers accountable.

Then we also have invited them to come down uh to the real-time crime center and sit down with officers because I take a number of officers inside the schools uh to engage with the young people outside of the advisory council that we have as well.

So I've had the advisor advisory council come down to some of my meetings, so I'm familiar with them.

But just as we dig deeper into the response, how are they getting the word out to their peers?

Because I think it's always important to hear peer-to-peer.

Um, and it spreads a little faster and it's and it's a little bit more genuine to the ear.

They're more radical than us.

They uh uh I've I've have uh been I'm inspired by them.

Uh you know, there's some uh are in high school and some of them go to Wayne State University, and and they would speak truth to power in a minute and they spread the word.

But uh I'll allow if the secretary ready, she wanna add on to that uh to speak.

Through the chair, thank you.

Hit that button in front of you to the red turns green, please.

I'm sorry.

Through the chair, and thank you, Vice Chair and Chair Dual.

Uh, yes, uh great question as far as peer-to-peer.

Uh this year we do have more youth advisory panel members that are in each district before this is the first time that I believe every district is represented.

Uh so the word is getting out because they've challenged their fellow peers in the different areas of the city to become a part.

Uh, we've even had one of the original members that actually has joined DPD now.

Um they are very engaged.

They have made uh specific charge to each other to attend BOPC meetings this year.

So this fiscal year, definitely this calendar year, we've had at least two members there, and I do notice that they're bringing classmates, etc.

Um Ms.

Blossom, who's on the BLPC staff.

We do have some things in the hopper to uh generate more involvement uh throughout the year in the schools in the different areas.

Uh when I was in District 7 a few months ago, I talked to some persons, and clearly, as some of you know, with my prior experience with Detroit public schools, definitely it's a challenge that we want to meet, and I think we're making great strides there.

Um the panel, the young people are just absolutely phenomenal.

Uh they're self-starters.

Uh we in fact had more applicants this year than ever before.

So the word is moving and moving quickly throughout the city.

So and through the chair, if I might add, uh we are planning to hold some of our meetings in high schools.

We did that a few years ago.

It was quite successful, but uh the challenges of you know getting a school building to open a little late because sometimes our meetings go beyond five.

Uh, but that is something that we have in in plan for this coming year.

We're looking forward to uh continued partnership on any way that I my office uh this floor can be of assistance in that space, certainly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh member Callaway Um April 18th, Saturday, April 18th is fast approaching, and there will be a symposium, if I may, um just commercial break.

Uh there was a symposium last year with our own chief Bettison and several other chiefs in surrounding cities together with the representative from Michigan State Police.

So maybe you can mark your calendar to be there.

I believe we start like at 10 a.m.

in the morning.

This year is going to be at WC3 on Outer Drive.

Uh, so we'll make sure that we get that information to you so that you can be there with us.

That helps because calendars get full real quickly, really quickly around here.

Thank you.

Member Calloway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon, everyone.

Good.

Thank you for getting the responses to my questions.

I just got the responses today, so I haven't had an opportunity to review them.

Um so I don't have any additional questions, but I would like to make a motion to put the um use of vehicles um by this department by um, I guess the I don't think the board of no members of the board of commission um have the use of vehicles.

Is that correct?

Through the chair.

Board members do not okay.

So I would want a list of those who actually have a vehicle.

Um I'm putting that into executive session and in the closing resolution.

I asked this question last year, and I never received the the answer.

So I'm putting it in again to this year, and hopefully hopefully I'll get the answer.

And within that, um, Mr.

Chair, um, where the vehicles um being parked um overnight, and then the use of fuel cards um, and then um the mileage um because I don't believe you know some of these reasons um justify the use of a city car um outside of the city of Detroit.

So that is my motion, sir, to put um the use of vehicles and the use of fuel cars um by those who have cars and the list of the names of those who have the the vehicles assigned to them into executive session and the closing resolution.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

And that's it for me.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Okay, thank you.

Member Waters.

Oh, uh before you go, Member Waters respond to the chair.

I I think that we submitted the names.

Is that correct?

We said it submitted the names and the information is uh do we have that at hand?

Because all that was submitted.

I'll make sure make sure it gets to uh my colleague.

Okay.

Thank you, Member Waters.

Member Waters.

Okay, thank you.

Um Mr.

President did ask one of my questions as it relates to the youth.

So let me just ask one other one that I have.

How are you doing with staff?

How many vacancies do you have?

Um, through the chair, I'll ask our fiscal manager, Mr.

Friese, to answer them.

Through the chair.

Thank you for the question.

Aside from the board attorney, there are two vacancies presently.

And that is due to two promotions that took place in the last two weeks.

So those two vacancies are already on their way to be filled.

Uh, and they're they're due to two promotions, which we're quite proud of.

All right.

Well, very good.

That's better than it was last time.

All right, then.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you, colleagues.

Any final motions before we roll?

Uh member uh uh pro team young.

Thank you.

Uh I also just want to make a motion to put um the police mini stations in um executive session.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Seeing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And I also want to make an emotion to put uh extended reality, particularly um ARXR goggles in closing resolution.

First, you gotta define it for me.

Okay, so when I'll talk uh oh yeah, I'm sorry.

That'll be in right.

Yeah, yeah, I was gonna break it down.

Okay, but colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

All right.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Thank you.

No further motions on this side of the table on that side of the table.

Closing remarks.

Just we want to thank you all for your support throughout the year.

Last year, this year.

Um, we will work diligently with the department.

We support the chief and all of his efforts, but we also want the community to have a voice with us.

Uh, we're we're doing everything that we can to find a balance and everything that we do.

Uh we all love the city and we're committed to you know making the city safer.

So thank you so much for your support.

Thank you.

And I know when the next uh charter revision commission comes forward, we're gonna make some changes um to assist you all.

Um you do a lot of work for a little with a little.

So thank you.

And you have a lot of heavy responsibility.

So looking forward to that opportunity as well.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Thank you all.

Appreciate it.

We shall now go to public comment.

If there's anyone from the public who would like to speak in the committee of the whole, please raise your hand now.

If there's anyone from the public who would like to speak, and they're at home, please raise your hand now.

Online going once, going twice, going three times.

The collection of public comments have now concluded.

I see one individual in the committee of the whole.

Let's just bring them on down, Cedric.

Cedric, let's just bring them on down.

Let's bring them on down.

It's only one.

Yeah.

You may take your seat, sir.

Your time will begin.

It's a minute, right?

Okay.

Yeah.

So advising everyone, you have one minute, sir.

You uh let's let's not play the game.

Let's just get it going.

That's cool.

Hit that button until the turn's green.

The floor is.

It don't take a minute to call you a fraud and a fake.

James Tate, you are not gonna be the mayor.

That game they doing that Solomon Kenlock trying to run and get them video.

Get the stuff you think that's gonna knock her out of office.

No, it ain't gonna work.

No, you can't get it.

Now this board of police commissioners, you just had Jerome Warfield in here.

I got numerous complaints over there, it ain't been done.

Now, Angela Callaway, you aka is also straight BS, and now you busted.

You cheated in.

Oh, you are elected officials in Detroit.

Cheating in Jenny's been tweeting in elections 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Did you hear that, Miss Callaway?

District 2 rep.

I'm a resident in District 2.

I told you I'm rude.

AKA, real go to our online public commenters.

Who's our first caller?

How many do we have to do?

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Council President.

There are seven online callers.

Our first caller is Jadante Smith.

All right.

Caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute.

General public comment.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

Yeah, James.

I was gonna say you're gonna be a part of the next lawsuit.

You are not able to put a person out of a meeting, a public meeting, uh, for a violation they did not commit inside that meeting, and you have to give a personal warning as opposed as stated by corporation counsel.

You are in violation of open meetings act, and I'm gonna put your name in a lawsuit.

Also, you're you're terrible, James Tate.

Your district is not changed in the last 16 years.

You've been on city council half the time I've been alive, and you guys are terrible.

Also, Detroit Police Department.

Uh, I have a decent working relationship with uh Todd Bedison.

He's doing a terrible job as police chief in my opinion over the reports that I've given him of his officers, whether it be EPU, whether it be at the board of police commissioners, or whether it'd be officers on the street like Dion uh Dawson Bash number three eight nine, who I decided PPO with who's on admin, no gun.

Also, shot spotter does not need to be reinstated reinstated.

Detroit police farm has too much technology that is not being useful.

7.7 million 7.75 million dollars is a lot of money for unusual technology that only saved 11 lives technically last year and is not done as usefulness.

We need better work.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is owner pop up.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Let's put that caller at the end of the queue and go to the next, please.

Council President, our next caller is Tara Brown.

All right, Miss Brown, the floor is yours.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Good afternoon, counsel.

I just want to say I am not in support of funding any more of shot spotter.

The process to get information about it is not transparent.

There are a hundred excuses why we can't get data from it.

It doesn't appear to serve the people the people or the purpose that it was intended to serve.

Uh the other thing I wanted to raise is please don't give any money, many more money to the law department.

They seem to waste a lot of money over there in that department as well as the police department because no one still can explain why there's a 20-hour out employee making $80,000.

However, we don't have enough staff for missing persons.

Again, a lot of money is wasted by the Detroit police.

So yeah, no more money for them either.

And again, is Comrade Mallet building billing the Board of Police Commissioner a salary as well as a salary he gets from the city?

That's a problem.

They need a new attorney over there at the Board of Police Commission.

He cannot work both sides.

It's not fair.

I'm suing the law department now.

Again, he represents the law department, and he's representing the Board of Police Commission and the police department.

Like this is Thank you.

Next caller, please.

William M.

Davis, the floor is yours.

You have one minute general public comment.

Mr.

Davis, are you there?

Let's put Mr.

Davis at the end of the queue and go to the next, please.

Our next caller is Buddy A.

Varner.

Miss Betty A.

Verner, the floor is yours.

You have one minute general public comment.

Uh good afternoon.

This is Betty A.

Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Black Association advocating for black clubs, associations, 501 C3s.

Hopefully, y'all will um help these black clubs who are doing the work in their community to pay this land use hearing fee when they have to go uh to the city of Detroit to get the okay to do projects to improve their community.

Also asking that there is uh that you allocate monies for a program to help black clubs, associations, and 50 C3s uh to help them get their neighborhood uh corridors uh improved.

There are uh corridors that has not gotten the attention that some of the other wonderful corridors have gotten throughout the city of Detroit.

So we need help, and especially I'm advocating for thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is iPhone.

IPhone, the floor is yours.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Let's put iPhone at the end of the queue and go to the next, please.

Council president, our next caller is Marguerite Maddox Scarlet.

Marguerite Mattox Scarlet, the floor is yours, General Public Comment.

I've been missing I'm just good.

Um before we cover the five VT and I agree with me.

Very helpful.

The people with these.

We need to find ready rage.

You can really face.

I come on and speak.

They they listen to me, but not other people with speech.

I know that it's time.

We are going to see if we put we are just to get raid ways to communicate.

And I know that we do not control the public with ridiculous that some members of the public cannot express their feelings correctly.

And I do realize that there is right to stay up from their mind.

Thank you.

Let's call her please.

Council President, we are now going back to our previous callers, noting that a few hands were raised after the cutoff.

Unfortunately, we're gonna have to move on.

If you'd like to provide your comments to the clerk's office, they will be placed on to public record.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

William M.

Davis, the floor is yours.

One minute, general public comment.

Mr.

Davis, are you there going once?

Mr.

Davis, are you there going twice?

Going three times.

Are you there?

Unfortunately, we're gonna have to move on.

If you would like to provide your comments to the clerk's office, they will be placed on to public record.

Next caller, please.

Council President, this will be our last caller with iPhone.

IPhone.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Yeah, uh, I'd like us to have public comment at the first of the meeting and the last.

So that people might have something they're doing.

And I I think it's a violation myself of the the intent of the public meeting act.

If you think that these hearings for the budget aren't as important to have public hearing as a special hearing where you're giving your money away to these contractors.

That's absurd.

It's more important.

We're the ones out there with the experience.

I I every time I hear have time to listen.

I want I've got stuff to tell you.

So I'm gonna start dictating long emails to you.

But of course, it'd be nice if we had a chat box that we could put this up for other people to hear besides you, because uh this is not good democracy.

We're the ones out here getting it to uh we're the ones who can tell you where you need to shore up and those people getting your money.

All right, thank you so much.

Just want to let everyone know that these are budget hearings, not public hearings, and we required to provide the same amount of time to everyone.

That's what we're doing.

But there will be a bubble a public hearing on the budget that will take place March 30th at 5 p.m.

March 30th at 5 p.m.

And we will have full uh opportunities to have public comment during that uh that evening.

All right, we have wrapped up the last of our public or excuse me, our budget hearings today.

Uh Mr.

Corley, anything you want to add?

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So uh last Friday I sent out an email um encouraging council members uh to provide your more specific information on items that you put into the executive session.

I know Mr.

President, you suggested that council members provide a memo.

We want to kind of go a little bit step further, and um we would accept an email, you know, from council members and staff if that expedites getting your information to us.

Uh we're in the process of producing the executive session spreadsheet.

And as you know, second session starts next Tuesday.

Um, and you know, that's on a former session.

So we have a kind of a truncated truncated process when it comes, a shorter process when it comes to executive session.

Um it starts next Tuesday, ends the following Tuesday, and then you know next Friday is good Friday.

So we only have about four days of executive session.

So the more specific specific specific information we get from you now, the better.

And also if you can identify, if council members can identify the monies that you put into the second session, is it one time versus recurring?

Um, because you know that helps us to uh put together our spreadsheet for you when it comes to trying to identify funding sources for those.

So um we're greatly appreciate as much specific information you can provide us, and you can do it via email.

When you send an email, please uh send it to Mr.

Whitaker, um, Miss Lakeisha Barclay and myself, and we'll make sure that we get it to the appropriate staff within the LPD to put together that executive session spreadsheet.

So really we appreciate um your help on that effort.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mr.

Corley, I know we haven't spoken much about ARPA dollars, um, but do you have any uh report that maybe I've missed it?

I apologize if so, on where uh uh an assessment of where the ARPA dollars are uh in terms of being uh fully spent before the uh due date this year.

Thank you for that uh question, Mr.

President.

So council member McCampbell asked LPD to provide a report on that issue.

And so our report will be coming out in a couple of days.

Um there's about a hundred and thirty million or so available in opera dollars to be spent, and as we know have to be spent by December 31st of this year.

Um he also asked um, you know, what programs that could continue on if we were to continue them on with general fund funding, uh, because not all upper programs can be continued, you know, um, because of the lending of credit issue.

And so our report would encompass that information as well.

Okay.

Looking forward to it.

All right, colleagues, is there we will uh reconvene on uh Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Uh pro Tim Young?

Yeah, I wanted to um change something real quick in a motion.

Uh I had made a motion earlier to um move um the robotic shell casings uh to executive session.

Uh scratch that and just move it to closing resolution because it's not ready for prime time.

So I'd like to make a motion to move uh the shell casing robot robot from executive session to closing resolution.

All right, colleagues, there is a motion for there's an amended motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion.

See no objections that action shall be taken.

This meeting is adjourned.