County Commissioner Womack and GRPD Police Chief Collaborate on Community Education and Open Forum
Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack and Grand Rapids Police Chief David Rahinsky met earlier this week to discuss recent incidents involving police officers and youth.
They met in light of a recent incident in which a 12 - year - old child was handcuffed momentarily, searched for weapons, and then released.
Grand Rapids Police officers had responded to a call of a shooting at a residence on Batavia Pl NE on October 9, 2018.
Commissioner Womack was openly critical about the outcomes.
At their meeting, Chief Rahinsky and Commissioner Womack talked about ways for the police department to continue to work with the community to strengthen relationships and address concerns about disparate outcomes.
Together, Commissioner Womack and Chief Rahinsky are inviting Grand Rapids residents and other community stakeholders to join them at the Grand Rapids Police Department, 1 Monroe Center Ave. NW, on Sunday, Oct. 21 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to continue the conversation around community and police relations.
The gathering will include:
• ·Opening welcome and introductions by Chief Rahinsky and Commissioner Womack.
• Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) command staff will distribute copies of the department's Youth Interaction Policy and hold discussions around the content of the policy.
• Members of the department's Training Unit will discuss and answer questions about officers' decision-making training and, more specifically, how the department has incorporated the Youth Interaction Policy into its training.
• The Internal Affairs Unit will explain the GRPD complaint process and encourage members of the community to file a complaint if they believe a situation is handled inappropriately.
• There will be an open forum public comment session for community members to voice their concerns or bring forward ideas about the Youth Interaction Policy with Chief Rahinsky and Commissioner Womack. Commissioner Womack believes this community meeting is a step in the right direction.
"This is not about who is right and who is wrong. This is about making sure that all members of society are treated fairly," Commissioner Womack said. "It is about making sure that the young members of our community are handled in an age appropriate manner to match the circumstances and that all community members have a voice. I believe that working together with the police department is the best way to achieve these goals for the residents of Grand Rapids."
Chief Rahinsky says he shares Commissioner Womack's views on the importance of continual progress toward strong community police relations and ensuring the voices of community members are heard.
Tagged in :