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Anna Wilhelmi tells DeKalb County board officers have reported racial targeting; 'It has to stop.'
Summary
At a DeKalb County Board meeting, resident Anna Wilhelmi said chiefs reported off-duty officers of color were boxed in and asked for paperwork; she and allied chiefs urged the board to address civil-rights complaints involving local enforcement. No formal action was recorded.
Anna Wilhelmi of Paw Paw Township told the DeKalb County Board that chiefs from neighboring jurisdictions brought forward a press release describing an off-duty Brooklyn Park officer who was allegedly boxed in and asked for paperwork.
"Good evening, chair. My name is Anna Wilhelmi from Paw Paw Township," Wilhelmi said, adding that one officer "was targeted based upon the color of her skin." She described the officer being boxed in, having her phone knocked from her hands when she attempted to record the incident, and agents leaving without apology.
Wilhelmi said the reports were not isolated. "Many of the chiefs standing behind me all have similar incidents with their off-duty officers," she said, and concluded her remarks with an appeal: "It has to stop."
Why it matters: Wilhelmi framed the remarks as a public-safety and civil-rights concern raised by law-enforcement leaders; the complaint alleges wrongful stops and aggressive treatment of off-duty officers who are U.S. citizens. The board did not record any referral, investigation directive, or formal response during the meeting transcript.
What the transcript records: Wilhelmi said the events occurred in Brooklyn Park and that officers reported being stopped during traffic stops or on the street "with no cause and being forced to demand paperwork to determine if they are here legally." She also said an officer attempting to record an incident had her phone knocked away and that agents left the scene.
No formal follow-up recorded: The chair thanked Wilhelmi and moved on to other speakers; the meeting transcript does not show the board directing staff to investigate, scheduling a hearing, or referencing a specific statute or internal complaint process. The transcript also does not include a response from Brooklyn Park officials or the named agency.
Next steps: The transcript contains no formal action on this item. Members of the public presented this as a public-comment item; any policy or investigatory follow-up would require separate action not documented in the meeting record provided.
