Kentwood resident accuses officer of colluding with CPS, asks commission for internal investigation

Brandy Ritzma, a Kentwood resident, used the city’s public-comment period to accuse a Kentwood police officer of coordinating with Child Protective Services in her ongoing family court case and asked the commission for action.

"He gave false, slanderous, and speculative testimony," Ritzma said, alleging Officer Cradlebaugh testified while on duty and in uniform without having reviewed his body camera and that his statements aligned with CPS narratives despite no independent police report. She told commissioners the conduct had harmed her family and asked for "an immediate internal investigation" and a written response from the mayor's office acknowledging the complaints.

Ritzma said she previously raised the issue with the commission twice and that Mayor Kepley had promised follow-up but that she had received no contact or accountability to date. "Silence in the face of misconduct is complicity," she said, and asked the commission to follow through "so no parent is ever pushed to the sidelines the way I have been."

The commission did not take formal action on the complaint during the meeting and no staff response was recorded on the record. Commissioners thanked Ritzma for speaking. The meeting proceeded to scheduled agenda items, including several votes on contracts and grant agreements.

What comes next: Ritzma requested a formal internal investigation and written acknowledgment from the mayor's office; the transcript records the request but does not record any direct pledge of investigative steps or a staff report with a timeline. The commission may choose to direct staff to investigate or to provide a written response at a later meeting.