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Civilian Appeals Board tables proposed bylaw amendments; approves Feb. 19 minutes
Summary
At its March 19, 2025 meeting the Grand Rapids Civilian Appeals Board voted to table proposed changes to its bylaws until the next regular meeting because the board lacked the legal number of votes required. The board also approved the Feb. 19, 2025 meeting minutes and discussed police de-escalation training.
The Civilian Appeals Board of Grand Rapids on March 19, 2025 voted to table proposed amendments to its bylaws until the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting and approved the minutes of its Feb. 19, 2025 meeting.
Board staff advised members that changing the board’s bylaws requires more than a simple quorum. A staff member said legal counsel calculated the amendment threshold at 5.33 votes, which the staff interpreted to mean six affirmative votes are required. The board has eight seats; five members were present at the March 19 meeting, so members voted to delay further action on the amendment.
A board member moved to table the bylaw amendment discussion. The motion carried on an oral vote with no opposition. The board also approved the Feb. 19, 2025 meeting minutes on an oral vote, with no opposition.
Members used the open-discussion portion of the agenda to thank the Grand Rapids Police Department and the Office of Police Accountability for recent training and to ask for more detail on de-escalation training. One board member described a virtual-reality de-escalation scenario used during recent training and said the exercise “gave you choices like do you do this or do you do that?” A board liaison said staff would inquire with the police department to determine whether de-escalation is taught as part of use-of-force training or separately and whether the board could receive training or briefing on the department’s policies and practices.
The board adjourned at the end of the agenda and will consider the proposed bylaw amendments at a future meeting when a sufficient number of members are present.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (Feb. 19, 2025): Motion passed on an oral vote; no opposition (yes: 5; no: 0). Mover/second: not specified in the record. Note: minutes approved as presented.
- Motion to table proposed bylaw amendments until next regularly scheduled meeting: Motion passed on an oral vote; no opposition (yes: 5; no: 0). Mover/second: not specified in the record. Note: staff advised that counsel calculated an amendment threshold equivalent to six affirmative votes, and five members were present on March 19, 2025.
