Finalists for Grand Rapids police chief emphasize community engagement, accountability and retention

Four finalists for Grand Rapids's police chief post appeared before community members to outline plans focused on community engagement, recruiting and retention, and internal accountability.

The forum, facilitated by Gary Peterson of Public Sector Search and Consulting, gave each candidate identical questions drawn from 75 community survey responses. Raphael Diaz, Joe Trigg (the interim chief), Deputy Chief Mark Bliss and Eve Stevens all said they would spend their first 100 days listening to neighborhood leaders and department staff and then set measurable priorities.

Why it matters: Grand Rapids is weighing leadership at a moment of heightened public attention to policing practices, recruitment shortfalls and calls for civilian oversight. Candidates' proposals for early action will shape both departmental culture and community trust should one be appointed.

Raphael Diaz said his top priority would be direct outreach. "I need to make contact with community leaders and hear from the people," he said, adding he would learn the department's culture and build changes on "needs and not just knee-jerk reactions." Diaz introduced himself as a long-serving law enforcement officer, a licensed attorney and a judge advocate general in the Michigan Army National Guard.

Eve Stevens, who served in Austin and with the University of Texas Police Department, said her early work would include policy reviews, training assessments, supervisor development and strengthening complaint review processes so they "would pass the scrutiny of the community." She said building trust requires being "present, visible, and engaged," and recommended tools such as a transparent discipline matrix and community-facing recruitment strategies.

Interim Chief Joe Trigg emphasized continuity and accountability. He said trust and retention are central and praised community officer programs that put officers on foot in neighborhoods. Trigg also cited his experience commanding the internal affairs unit and said he supported collaboration with civilian oversight.

Deputy Chief Mark Bliss said the next chief should "codify what the expectations are" with clear metrics and a roadmap, and that he would "audit everything" in the department to know resources, policies and liabilities. Bliss recommended progressive discipline, quality-assurance reviews of body-worn camera footage, and independent, integrity-driven internal affairs staff.

On recruitment and morale, candidates described strategies to retain current officers while broadening recruitment to better reflect the city. Stevens cited evidence-based recruitment efforts that humanize officers in outreach materials; Bliss urged investing first in retention so current employees can serve as the department's best ambassadors.

On accountability and transparency, candidates uniformly supported stronger review processes and civilian oversight. Several referenced rapid release of body-worn camera footage within law and policy to avoid competing narratives; Bliss said current practice releases footage in roughly 30 to 45 days unless a prosecutor or ongoing case requires delay.

The forum closed with a public question and a reminder that the city manager plans to interview the finalists the following day as part of the hiring process.

The city has not yet announced a hire date or next public step in the selection process.