In the last 30 days two Grand Rapids Police officers have been placed on administrative leave.
One incident involved an officer using racially-charged language about a U.S. Citizen and veteran in an email to Immigration Customs Enforcement and the other involved an officer using excessive force during a traffic stop. Both incidents involved people of color.
Agustin Arbulu, executive director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission says this is not the first time the Grand Rapids Police Department shows bias.
“We have in the past heard about incidents of overreaching by the Grand Rapids Police Department in particular directed to people of color being African Americans and Hispanics, being the primary targets of the actions by the police department.”
To learn what the community’s experiences with GRPD has been, Arbulu has scheduled a community forum at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Grand Rapids. He says no investigation against GRPD has been launched.
“We are interested in hearing their stories, what they can contribute to what’s been going on in Grand Rapids in terms of interfacing, interacting with the Grand Rapids Police Department.”
Representatives from GRPD say they cannot comment as they had no knowledge of the scheduled meetings.
Two community forums will be held next Thursday at the NAACP in Grand Rapids, one from 1-4:30pm and another one from 5:30-8:30pm.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.
