*Kalamazoo City Commission Removes Federal Policing Funding From Agenda After Community Pushback*

A Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety sign is pictured from March 7, 2023.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The City of Kalamazoo will not be accepting a $1.25 million federal grant that would have helped fund 10 new public safety officers for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The funding was offered through the 2025 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program from the U.S. Department of Justice.

City Manager Malcolm Hankins pulled the item from Monday nights city commission agenda at the start of the meeting, citing the need for additional review of the long-term implications of accepting the award.

"It also effectively means non-acceptance of the grant at this time," Hankins said.

The grant would have covered 75% of entry-level salaries and benefits for 10 new officers over three years, with the city required to retain those positions for at least a year after federal funding ended. The total budget amendment requested of the commission was $1.52 million.

After Hankins announcement to remove the agenda item, the packed commission chambers erupted in applause from residents who had come to speak out against the grant.

Thirty-Nine Conditions Attached to Federal Funding

There were 39 conditions attached to the grant, including a requirement that the city comply with all applicable federal laws, presidential memoranda and executive orders.

An hour and a half of public comment included dozens of community members and advocacy groups thanking the commission for rejecting the offer, stating that the award conditions could force local police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

NAACP Kalamazoo President Wendy Fields told commissioners the language was "stringent, highly detailed and subjective," and said it appeared to allow the federal government "broad authority to investigate or monitor citizens and non-citizens."

Several commenters called out a condition that would prohibit grant recipients from operating any programs with diversity, equity and inclusion components that the federal government considers essential.

One condition requires compliance with federal law 8 U.S.C. § 1373, which states that local governments "may not prohibit" officials from sharing information about a person's citizenship or immigration status with federal agencies.

The immigration-related condition does not require Kalamazoo police to collect immigration status information or participate in federal immigration enforcement. However, it does limit the city's ability to restrict the sharing of that information if it is obtained.

Residents Fear Federal Overreach

"It is impossible that the president knows more about how to police Kalamazoo than our own local police department," said resident Vicki Vannis. "The only reason for these requirements is to make KDPS an arm of his Gestapo-esque ICE raids."

Concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement have grown nationally in recent months amid an increase in federal immigration enforcement and a series of controversial incidents.

In January, two U.S. citizens — Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse — were fatally shot in separate encounters with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Both incidents remain under investigation, and federal officials have said the use of force was justified, while witnesses, video footage, and civil rights advocates have raised questions about those accounts.

The shootings, along with reports of aggressive enforcement tactics, detentions of U.S. citizens, and limited transparency in federal investigations, have sparked protests and legal challenges.

This Is Not The First Time

City Manager Malcolm Hankins also removed the grant from the March 2 meeting without explanation, and commissioners did not discuss it at that time.

Despite the item's removal, several residents used public comment to criticize the city for pursuing the grant in the first place.

Members of the clergy, civil rights groups and residents spoke for more than an hour supporting the decision to reject the grant.

Commissioners like Jeanne Hess thanked the community for their support on the issue. Commissioners Chris Praedel and Jae Slaby added their voices to the decision.

What This Means For Kalamazoo Police

Removing it from the agenda means the grant was not accepted, though it could potentially return for consideration at a future meeting.

All commissioners were present except Commissioner Stephanie Hoffman.

The city has not announced what funding alternatives it will pursue to address staffing needs at the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.

Sources:

  • WWMT: $1.25M federal police hiring grant with 39 stipulations pulled from Kalamazoo agenda
  • Watershed Voice: Kalamazoo commission removes $1.25 million federal police grant from agenda, residents cheer
  • WKZO: Kalamazoo won't receive federal $1.25-million policing grant