Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ypsilanti police chief reports uptick in assaults and larcenies, outlines review and staffing plans
Summary
Chief Tim Anderson told the Ypsilanti Police Advisory Commission that December–January statistics showed an increase in non‑aggravated assaults and larcenies (including porch thefts), while the department plans expanded investigative review, a new arrest‑review body‑camera workflow, and steps to fill vacancies.
Chief Tim Anderson told the Ypsilanti Police Advisory Commission on Feb. 26 that December and January crime statistics showed an increase in non‑aggravated assaults and larcenies while homicides and kidnappings remained at zero.
“Most categories stayed pretty consistent,” Anderson said, but he emphasized a spike in non‑aggravated assaults (from 15 the prior year to 35) and a rise in larcenies tied in some cases to porch package thefts. He also flagged a coding error in which a shots‑fired incident was incorrectly logged as a “non‑fatal shooting,” explaining that the event involved recovered shell casings and no known struck victim.
The department plans closer post‑incident review. Anderson said the agency now reviews every vehicle pursuit and use of force administratively and will roll out a change to the body‑camera policy so that “every arrest now is going to be reviewed” with a seven‑day supervisor report turnaround.
On investigative capacity, Anderson said investigative‑activity totals rise when detectives are assigned to follow up. He told commissioners the department currently has five vacancies, two officers in field training, recruits at the Oakland Police Academy and one recent academy graduate starting Monday. He also said the detective bureau will soon include two assigned investigators.
“We’ve hired 17 people since I became interim chief,” Anderson said, noting that some attrition occurred as officers retired or took other jobs. Anderson described planned promotion processes (an objective assessment, structured interview panel and a chief’s interview) intended to fill supervisory vacancies.
Commissioners asked about traffic crash counts, which the chief and staff said are higher in months with bad weather and can rise because the city’s reporting definition includes single‑vehicle incidents that leave the roadway; not all crashes are reported to police when drivers choose to handle repairs privately. Commissioners also pressed for more granular call‑for‑service data; Anderson said the department’s records system (referred to in the meeting as Clemus/Clements) lacks the advanced breakdown tools used by the county and that purchasing a more capable analytics product or changing coding practices would be required to provide the requested data more efficiently.
The chief said he is preparing an after‑action report on a recent multi‑agency incident and urged residents with evidence or witness statements to contact investigators; he said the department is reviewing roughly 95 video recordings and will forward findings to the city manager for further action."
