Public Safety Committee - June 16, 2026

The City of Grand Rapids Public Safety Committee convened on June 16, 2026, primarily to review a benchmarking analysis of the Grand Rapids Police Department's (GRPD) K9 program policy. Brandon Davis from the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability presented findings comparing GRPD's K9 policies to peer cities and nationally recognized standards. The analysis identified gaps between written policies and actual practices, recommending updates to better document use of force classifications, vulnerable population protections, transparency, supervisor approvals, and demographic tracking. The committee discussed the importance of aligning written policies with current practices to ensure accountability and community trust. The GRPD leadership expressed openness to adopting recommendations and highlighted their CALEA accreditation and ongoing training efforts. The meeting also touched on future reviews of foot pursuit and traffic stop policies, as well as the use of public safety trust fund grants. No specific contract awards, RFPs, or procurement actions were discussed during this session.