Who Will Oversee the Police?
The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners was established in 1974 as a civilian oversight body for the Detroit Police Department. Seven members are elected from the Districts, and four are appointed by the Mayor. This year District 4 BOPC incumbent Willie Bell faces challenger Scotty Boman. Here they give us a look at their qualifications and their visions for how the Board should function.
Willie Bell: I am proud to serve as your police commissioner in District 4 for the last eight years. I was elected as chairperson by the Board for four terms. I led the initiative in police reform within the DPD and helped create the motto “Accountability through Civilian Oversight.” My passion for effective, community policing and crime prevention has never waned. As an officer, and now commissioner and National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) board member, I have fought to hold law enforcement accountable.
My priority is impacting disciplinary actions. I am advocating that the contract with the police unions address this issue. I will remain vocal in asking the mayor to follow the charter to give the Board final authority in this area. I want the Board to be more involved with recruiting and talking with our local students. We need more officers and should give them better pay and benefits.
I am seeking re-election because of my years of experience, and because I stand on truth and integrity. As a black man who grew up on the eastside of Detroit, 40+ year EEV resident with my family and now grandchildren, I remain committed to public safety and serving the best interest of my community in District 4.
Scotty Boman: I was born and raised in Detroit, and have been a resident of the Morningside Community in District Four for nineteen years.
Police Commissioners are not police officers. They’re the civilian oversight of the police department. The Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) was created in 1974 to give Detroiters an alternative place where they could make complaints, against police officers. An independent investigator is supposed to investigate those complaints, and the BOPC is to hold wrong-doers accountable. Unfortunately, the current board falls short; my opponent obstructs the process.
I will redirect the BOPC to their core mission, and insist on full transparency to prevent any further corruption. I support law enforcement, and I condemn abuse of the trust we place in them. I’ve assisted police through MEC radio patrol, Angels Night patrols, on the Detroit River Walk.
I was on the Morningside board from 2013 to 2019. I was also Vice President of MEC Patrol for a few years. I chaired the focus group, which offered a plan to improve civilian oversight, for the Charter Commission. I’m a graduate of the DPD Citizen’s Academy. I am currently Chairperson of your Community Advisory Council. Learn more at DetroitLivesMatter.org.
