Reps. Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) and Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) testify in the House Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich., Dec. 10, 2024 — A comprehensive, bipartisan bill package supported by Michiganders passed through the House Criminal Justice Committee today, putting more accountability and transparency in interactions between law enforcement officials and the communities they protect and serve. Bill sponsors, state Reps. Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) and Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) applaud this package as a win for Michiganders standing up for accountable public safety and increasing peaceful relationships in communities across the state.
“After the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Tyre Nichols, Aiyana Jones and Grand Rapids’ own Patrick Lyoya, Samuel Sterling, Breonna Taylor and too many others at the hands of law enforcement, Michiganders of all backgrounds have called for change,” Grant said. “And while we’ve been focused on creating common-sense legislation to reduce violence, get more guns off the streets and other measures to keep firearms away from youth, the other part of increasing safety in our communities is about dealing with issues like excessive force and abuse of power by some law enforcement officials.”
Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck) and Reps. Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit), Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) and Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) testify in the House Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing.
House Bills 6112-6121 would make reasonable and practical changes to how police officers handle interactions with community members to prevent the use of excessive force and abuse of power.
“The ugly truth is, we have a problem with excessive force and abuse by police officers in our communities. We count on law enforcement officials to keep us safe, and people should be able to call for help in a dire situation without fear of being harmed, or even killed, themselves,” McKinney said. “Violence by bad actors with a badge is an actual threat to public safety across Michigan and in the nation for people of color and especially for Black people. We don’t have to live like this, and we will not normalize police brutality. We demand and deserve police officers who are held accountable, who truly uphold justice and treat all people with dignity.”
Some examples of policy changes in this package include law enforcement officials would limit use of no-knock warrants, require de-escalation and crisis response training, prevent bodycam tampering and enforce other safeguards to protect residents and enhance the police profession.
Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck) and state Reps. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township), Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield), Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit) and Jimmie Wilson, Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) also sponsor bills in the package.
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