Residents at Detroit Committee of the Whole raise Land Bank break‑in claim, call for police records and transit fixes

At the Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole meeting on Feb. 5, 2025, several residents used the public‑comment period to press the council on a range of neighborhood concerns, including an allegation that the Detroit Land Bank forcibly entered private property in 2020, a request for a subpoena of a Michigan State Police report tied to a 2020 death, repeated complaints about bus service reliability, and objections to proposed fees and access to Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) transcripts.

The most extended public comment came from Jerome Veil, who said his dispute with the Land Bank “has been happening for 4 years.” Veil said the Land Bank broke into his property in February 2020, “destroyed them on record,” changed a lock combination and later sent attorneys to post notices at his properties. “They thought I was a senile old man or something,” Veil said, adding the Land Bank staff “told me I’m sorry… and she promised to make me whole,” referring to an earlier conversation with a Land Bank staffer.

Why it matters: public commenters asked the council to press agencies for answers and stated they expected the council’s offices to follow up. The chair’s office offered to have a staff member contact Veil and to reach out to the Land Bank directly.

Also during public comment, Reuben J. Crowley Jr. urged the internal operations committee to subpoena and publish an unredacted Michigan State Police report related to the death of Kanisha Coleman (DPD case 20‑11112). Crowley said he wants the unredacted report posted “on a city website or disseminate[d]” so the public can see what the Michigan State Police found.

Other commenters raised separate issues. A caller identified as Tina Brown described frequent late buses and drivers leaving stops early on routes serving West Chicago and Davidson streets, asking that Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) ensure buses stop for waiting riders. William M. Davis, president of Detroit Active Retired Employee Association, urged creation of a stronger human‑trafficking task force and more neighborhood crime prevention resources. Betty A. Varner, president of the DeSoto Ellsworth Black Association, asked the council to allocate budget dollars to help neighborhood clubs incorporate as 501(c)(3) organizations.

Several callers urged transparency around private sector relocations and incentives after a caller identified as Tahira Ahmad referenced media coverage of General Motors’ planned move of headquarters offices and asked whether the council had received campaign contributions from affected parties. Another caller (self‑identified as Lee Shelton, District 3) criticized the city’s use of negotiated bond sales and said interest costs on general obligation bonds have been high.

On zoning appeals, one caller who identified themselves only by the phone number ending in +1 24 said the BZA had considered a $500 fee for community appeals last year but the council rejected it; they objected to a proposed $6.35 per‑page charge for transcripts and said that limiting access to recordings “is just simply unacceptable.” The chair responded that a memo had been submitted and a follow‑up response would be forthcoming.

The public comment period closed after timed two‑minute slots; the chair’s office said staff would follow up with individuals who requested further assistance.

Ending: The public comment portion concluded before unfinished business. Several callers requested specific follow up—Land Bank outreach, a subpoena and public release of the Michigan State Police report, transit operational fixes, and clearer BZA transcript access—which council staff said they would investigate or respond to in a future memorandum or meeting.