Resident urges Kentwood commission to order independent review after alleging police and CPS violations

Brandy Ritzma told the Kentwood City Commission that she has faced "government harm" linked to custody proceedings and alleged repeated constitutional violations involving CPS and the Kentwood Police Department.

Ritzma said she reported "the loss of my federal income without a lawful court order, without notice, and without due process," and that a judge has found that CPS and the Kentwood police "have violated my constitutional rights repeatedly." She said her FOIA records show communications involving the officer in question before proper subpoenas were issued and without notice to her, and argued those records show procedural failures that have harmed her family.

"Once these matters were reported and once judicial findings confirmed constitutional violations, longer neutral, failure to act after notice constitutes failure of oversight and deliberate indifference," Ritzma said, asking the commission to "formally acknowledge the record, require an independent review of police involvement and procedural" matters.

The chair responded with thanks but did not announce any immediate next steps or a formal request for an independent investigation during the meeting. No motion or staff direction was recorded in the meeting minutes for an independent review.

The commission heard the comment during the public-comment period; city staff did not present a substantive rebuttal during the meeting. Ritzma also said FOIA documents show the officer "was not subpoenaed until October 7 after I was told a court hearing was postponed because the officer supposedly could not attend," and that other communications in the records indicated the officer had been involved earlier.

Status: The speaker requested oversight and an independent review, but the commission did not take formal action on the request at this meeting. Any further steps would require a future motion or staff follow-up.