District 4 Candidates Speak: Police, Recreation, Blight, & Ethics
Democracy is a fragile institution requiring our constant protection. The right to vote can be taken away if we don’t exercise it regularly. We know that for so many, winning the right to vote took years of struggle and sacrifice. But voting alone isn’t enough to keep democracy alive if citizens aren’t well informed. MorningSide Community Organization wants to do its part by using this newsletter to help residents get to know the candidates asking for our votes.
We’ve asked our District 4 candidates for City Council – Latisha Johnson and ML Elrick – to answer a few questions which we hope will give you some insight into how they see their role as Council members and how they approach complex and controversial issues. Because we were unable to reach all of the at-large candidates by our deadline, we will publish their statements in a separate e-blast.
Both of you have deep roots in Detroit and share a love for the city and commitment to its revitalization. What are the most important ways in which you differ from your opponent?
Latisha: Born and raised in Detroit, I’ve always believed in our city and have dedicated the last fourteen years working directly within our neighborhoods. Elected to the Executive Board of the East English Village (EEV) neighborhood association in 2007, I spent seven years helping to stabilize and rebuild our far eastside community. Specifically, I held the banks accountable for securing their properties, removing squatters and keeping vandals out, as well as assisting neighbors with foreclosure prevention.
In 2014, I founded the non-profit, MECCA Development Corporation. With development in Detroit on the rise, it seemed critical to our future that every resident’s voice be heard. Working with sustainability in mind, our board engaged neighbors, business owners, and community partners to implement the ideas that grew out of community conversations. We are proud of the programs we have implemented that directly serve our neighbors, including:
Community Closet - providing no-cost essentials to neighbors in need
Senior computer skills and exercise classes
Youth skill-building programs, including home rehab skills
I also uniquely understand firsthand the challenges of balancing our residents’ needs with budget and logistical constraints. My tenures as Treasurer for the 5th Precinct Police/Community Relations Council and Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals taught me how important it is to recruit input and involvement from a wide cross-section of citizens, businesses and local officials.
ML: I am the only candidate with a track record of rooting out government corruption. I will continue to use those skills to bring honest change to Detroit politics. Additionally, my more than 20 years experience covering Detroit city hall, as well as my sources and contacts, will allow me to hit the ground running on Day One. I have used that knowledge during this campaign to solve many problems for my neighbors, including getting a derelict home torn down for a woman who had been waiting a decade for someone to remove that blight on her block. I am also a creative problem solver who builds strategic partnerships to get things done -- with or without the help of the city's bureaucracy.
Many Detroiters want a stronger police presence in the neighborhoods and a crackdown on speeders. Others have called for “reimagining public safety” in a way that would redirect funds from the DPD to other social programs, reduce reliance on surveillance technology, increase accountability, etc. How would you address the concerns of both groups?
Latisha: I believe that we need to both increase the number of police that live & work in our neighborhoods AND redirect some DPD funds to better serve our community. I think police respond differently when they know and understand the culture of the community they are living in.
One place I would look is expanding the current CoResponse Pilot Programs like the 911 Integrated Response & Detroit Homeless Outreach Team, a collaboration between Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network & the DPD. These programs have shown promise in redistributing resources to better address the needs of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. I also think we can reduce serious injuries caused by police intervention with better training & implementation of non-violent approaches to apprehension & crowd control.
I am against the use of facial recognition technology by our police. Recent studies by M.I.T. and the NIST have found that while the current technology works relatively well on white men, the results are less accurate for other demographics.
I also want to work on a long term solution to the low wages our police earn so our young people are encouraged to serve. Let’s also implement more quality job creation programs, which have been proven to decrease crime.
ML: Unlike my opponent, I do not want to de-fund the police. I want more and better police, meaning officers trained to be guardians first, not just warriors, and who are trained on how best to deescalate situations and interact with us as peace officers. I will also work to require police academy graduates to work for DPD for at least three years. Too many of our academy graduates are lured away by suburban departments before they ever work a day in Detroit. We should not foot the bill to train officers for suburban departments. I will also work to expand job classifications at DPD to include nontraditional roles, such as park rangers, counselors, social workers and others who can provide human services. While I support speed humps, hiring more police will allow us to have traffic enforcement officers and more community-oriented officers. The reason the city has speed humps, Green Light and Shot-Spotter is because we do not have enough police, so city officials have turned to technology. While I respect our police and have the support of the Detroit Police Officers Association and Lieutenants and Sergeants Association, I will never tolerate police who cross the line. My 20-year track record as a government watchdog reporter includes exposing police misconduct.
District 4 is the only one without a recreation center. What is your strategy for getting us a recreation center, and in the meantime, creating more recreational opportunities, especially for our young people?
Latisha: While I do support building new centers as a long term solution, I also think there are solutions within our community today. I intend to use my relationships to develop stronger relationships with neighborhood schools, churches & nonprofits to develop better community use policies so that we are better utilizing currently existing facilities.
I also plan to review the DPSCD communities in school policy and work to provide better resident access to public school resources. We also need to negotiate better Community Benefits Agreements between businesses and the city to provide funds for recreation centers. When it comes to budget allocation, one focus will be uplifting after-school and other recreational & educational programs for our youth as well as improved services for our seniors.
ML: I will work with the recreation department to identify a location convenient to every neighborhood in the district for a new recreation center and will include funds in the city's capital improvement budget to build the center. In the meantime, I will continue working with nonprofits like Eagle Sports and the Eastside Youth Sports Foundation to increase recreational opportunities for our young people. I began coaching with Eagle Sports around 2004 and have contributed to the rehabilitation of Balduck and Messmer parks, so I know what a difference local organizations can make. I will also work with the Detroit Public Schools and churches so residents can have access to their gyms, pools and other recreational facilities. As a former coach, chaperone, mentor, field day team leader and school commissioner, I know how important it is to provide activities and positive adult role models for our boys and girls.
The Department of Neighborhoods (DoN) was established to address the day-to-day concerns of residents over quality-of-life issues like blight. Residents also expect their City Council representative to address those same issues. How do you distinguish your role from that of the Manager and Deputy Manager in the Department of Neighborhoods?
Latisha: Thanks for this question as it illuminates the misconception that blight issues are the responsibility of City Council. I see one of my roles is to educate the public as to who does what throughout state and local government, so that residents can hold the right people accountable.
The initial role of the DoN was to address blight. It then expanded to addressing quality of life issues, and is currently focused on helping to eliminate red tape within city government. All of which are the responsibility of the departments that the mayor oversees.
I do consider the DoN to be an extension of my office and will work closely with them to learn about specific problem areas. My role is to utilize the power of my office, as appropriate, to ensure residents’ concerns are addressed and to provide the necessary funding so the administration can adequately respond to constituents’ needs.
ML: The council member answers to the residents of District 4, while the manager and deputy answer to the mayor. Ideally, the council member and the district staff will have a good working relationship so that they can collaborate on solutions to residents' problems and the district office will be a force multiplier for the council member and staff. But I've already proven during this campaign that I can get things done -- such as demolishing an abandoned building -- using my knowledge of the city's bureaucracy and procedures. I am also aware that in other cities with district representatives -- like Chicago -- the mayor can try to starve independent council members of resources in a bid to control them. I will never be controlled by a mayor. That's why I will continue to be a creative problem solver and build strategic partnerships with nonprofits, churches, foundations, businesses and community organizations to serve the good people of District 4 regardless of whether the district office is effective and cooperative.
Council members have a legislative as well as budgetary role to play on City Council. What are some new ordinances that you would propose, if elected?
Latisha: Here are a few of the ordinances I have in mind:
Public Safety: In cases when a citizen dies as a result of police action, the DPD would be required to preserve all evidence related to the incident & work with the Michigan AG to conduct an investigation into the matter.
Public Safety: Suspend the use of facial recognition software within DPD until appropriate studies on the effectiveness can be carried out at the university level. Going forward the BOPC and City Council would approve the use of facial recognition software.
Water: Implementation of a water amnesty program for residential customers.
Housing: Provide Detroit owner occupants an advance two week period to bid on city owned properties before they are released to the public for bid.
Property Stewardship: Institute “Claw back” agreements: A restitution (money or land) would be owed back to the city when a developer doesn’t uphold their end of the agreement with regards to upkeep, development, or usage of city-owned properties. Implementation of better oversight and accountability would be included.
Ethics: I support the ordinance proposed by Raquel Castaneda-Lopez that would require annual ethics training for all elected city officials
ML: I have already proposed a comprehensive ethics ordinance that would require council members and top city officials to submit financial disclosure forms and conflict of interest forms that would be readily available for public inspection. I also called for mandatory ethics training for city officials and vendors, as well as gift and trip reporting requirements.
I proposed taking away the free vehicles provided to council members. And I proposed reconstituting the way ethics board members are selected to eliminate the current practice of letting politicians choose cronies to police the politicians who picked them.
I also proposed hiring more city workers to handle towing and ending the corruption-ridden practice of hiring private companies to do the work. Either through ordinance or collaboration with government, businesses, nonprofits, foundations, charities and churches, I have proposed creating a THAW-like non-profit to help pay the water bills for needy Detroiters (The Heat And Warmth fund helps pay heating bills).
I would also support ordinances based on some of the best elements of Proposal P, such as responsible contracting.
And, if it's the best way to get action, I would propose ordinances to enact my proposals to stop flooding and reforming police training and retention.
