The Grand Rapids Police Policy and Procedure Review Task Force is inviting the public to hear its second quarterly report Wednesday. Initially created after a traffic study found Grand Rapids police officers were twice as likely to pull over black drivers as non-black drivers, city officials are hoping the task force will increase transparency and repair trust between the community and the Grand Rapids Police Department.
Heading the effort is Ronald L. Davis, former President Barack Obama’s executive director for the President’s Task Force.
“The challenges that you’re (Grand Rapids is) facing are not unique,” Davis said. “They are consistent across the entire country. What makes Grand Rapids unique, in which we think is a plus, and can be a model, is how the city is responding.”
While the two unions that represent police officers have been critical of the creation of the task force, Davis, a former cop, says he understands how some in the police department might be frustrated by having the task force constantly looking over their shoulder.
“I know it’s tough on the officers. Because it feels like you are living in a microscope,” Davis said. “But here is what I would say is, the overwhelming majority of police officers are good men and women who are doing just a thankless sometimes job and a very complicated job.”
The task force will represent their report at 7:30 PM at the Grand Rapids Public Library.
