Outgoing Police Chief Winstrom reviews year-to-date crime data; Michigan State Police investigating recent officer-involved shooting
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Summary
Chief Winstrom presented January year-to-date crime figures, warned low counts limit trend conclusions, described three domestic-related fatal shootings as an outlier, and said a recent officer-involved shooting is under Michigan State Police investigation; GRPD will defer further releases to MSP and prosecutors.
Chief Winstrom presented year-to-date crime statistics to the Grand Rapids Public Safety Committee on Feb. 24, noting small monthly counts make trend conclusions unreliable but saying overall trends remain headed ‘‘in the right direction.’’ He said auto thefts rose slightly in January but are not, by themselves, evidence of a sustained trend, and described robbery totals as essentially at the multi-year average.
Winstrom addressed recent homicides and violent incidents in the city. He said three fatal shootings that were domestic related account for the department's reported fatal shootings and characterized those incidents as outliers while acknowledging their severity for victims and first responders. He praised detectives, forensic staff and victim advocates for responding and processing scenes, saying the three cases were cleared by arrest and prosecution.
The chief confirmed that GRPD recovered 21 illegally possessed firearms through January, including three weapons recovered on a traffic stop the previous night; two of those were reported stolen. He described details observed in that stop, including extended magazines and rifle-platform pistols, and said the department does not yet know the suspects' intent.
On a recent officer-involved shooting, Winstrom said Michigan State Police (MSP) is investigating under an interagency agreement and that GRPD will not release additional footage or records until MSP and the prosecutor make determinations. "GRPD will not release anything else until the prosecutor office makes its determination," he said, adding that the department had offered assistance to MSP. Multiple council members and community representatives urged additional transparency and asked when supplementary body-worn camera footage would be released; the chief reiterated the department's obligation to preserve investigation integrity and deferred to MSP and prosecutorial timelines.
Committee members asked about broader oversight of prior incidents. Several speakers noted roughly a dozen officer-involved shootings since 2022 and asked whether the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) could prepare consolidated reporting or a post-incident review to identify patterns. City officials said they would confer with MSP, the prosecutor and the city attorney and aim to be responsive while respecting ongoing investigations, collective-bargaining rules and employee rights.
The committee's discussion ended with officials reiterating the investigatory sequence: MSP investigates, the prosecutor reviews criminal findings and then GRPD's internal processes (including internal affairs and any administrative discipline) proceed if appropriate. The mayor closed the segment by urging patience as legal and prosecutorial processes play out.
