KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Following months of investigation, the OIR Group has released its report of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety’s (KDPS) responses to a series of protests in 2020.
The City of Kalamazoo had previously contracted with the California-based OIR Group to complete an independent assessment of KDPS’s response to protests that occurred on May 30 – June 2, 2020, and on August 15, 2020.
The June events took place following the death of George Floyd, while the August event concerned a protest by the Proud Boys group which turned violent.
Criticism had been aimed at KDPS and city leaders for deploying tear gas and utilizing the National Guard during the June protests, which involved vandalism and a curfew, while during the Proud Boys rally, police did not appear until after violence had escalated.
The 115-page document was released to the public last week, and a special meeting will be held this Tuesday night at 6 p.m. to discuss the findings.
City Manager Jim Ritsema released a statement on the report upon its release.
“We take the findings and recommendations from this important report very seriously, and we plan to use this independent review as a tool to help us learn, grow and improve,” Ritsema said. “We will work with KDPS and our community to develop a plan to implement key changes and improvements detailed in this report so we can build upon our successes, learn from our mistakes and better serve the residents of Kalamazoo through effective and transparent community policing.”
In total, the report makes 40 recommendations for improvements at KDPS.
In its conclusion, OIR Group noted that, while KDPS deserves credit in some of its response tactics, and did not appear to favor one protest group more than the other, there is still room for improvement, warranting the recommendations.
In validating the KDPS response to both the June and August protests, the OIR Group made the following statement in its conclusion:
“Our work concludes with two key components for the immediate future that we hope to see realized by the City’s leadership, the Kalamazoo community and
KDPS.
First, an increased recognition by all interested parties that the realities of last summer were more complicated than some believed, that KDPS did many things creditably and without a discriminatory motivation, and that room for improvement certainly existed – as is almost always the case with police agencies or any other organization in the aftermath of critical, high-profile incidents.
Second, a commitment by KDPS to enhance its many strengths as an agency through greater emphasis on public engagement and transparency, and through a more robust culture of self-scrutiny and internal review.”
According to a memo by Ritsema that was also released last week, KDPS and city officials are reviewing the report, and will present a plan to implement the key changes and improvements detailed within the next 90 days.
Residents are invited to view the special meeting Tuesday that will occur virtually at 6 p.m., which can be viewed on the City of Kalamazoo’s YouTube page.
