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Police chief tells Grand Rapids: department will not perform immigration enforcement; commissioners press for expanded co-response and community trauma supports
Summary
The police chief reiterated that the Grand Rapids Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws. Commissioners also prioritized expanding co-response mental-health teams, domestic-violence supports and establishing community gathering or vulnerable-person check lists to address trauma and extreme-weather risks.
Grand Rapids Police representatives told commissioners that the department does not act as an immigration enforcement agency, and commissioners used the workshop to press for expanded co-response mental-health teams and other community safety investments.
"The Grand Rapids Police Department is not in the business of immigration enforcement, period," the police chief said, emphasizing that department policy prohibits asking about immigration status and that officers are not to detain people based on that status. The chief told the commission that the policy predated the chief's arrival and that the department has communicated the standard in recent days amid community concern.
Commissioners described a set of public-safety priorities for the near term: sustained support for crisis-response models that pair non-uniformed outreach staff with public-safety partners; continued investment in domestic-violence services and coordination with the 61st District Court; and new attention to community trauma and recovery following high-profile incidents.
One commissioner proposed a voluntary "vulnerable person" registry used in other cities for outreach during severe weather or other emergencies so that the city and partner organizations can check on people who opt in to the service.
City Manager Mark and staff said the hot team and co-response programs will be adjusted as patrol needs evolve; the manager noted that shifting resources back to operations can allow the city to move additional civilian outreach staff onto the outreach team, but that such reassignments carry budget and staffing implications.
Commissioners asked staff to return with options for resourcing expanded co-response teams and for updates on programs that support domestic-violence survivors. No ordinance or formal policy changes were adopted at the workshop.
