KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Monday, Kalamazoo city leaders and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) held a virtual press conference to address findings in an investigation regarding the Proud Boys rally earlier this month.
“Hate has no place in Kalamazoo or in Southwest Michigan, and I strongly denounce the Proud Boys and other hate groups that promote racism and seek to instigate violence and mayhem through their words and actions,” Anderson said at the meeting. “In the City of Kalamazoo, we embrace the diversity of our community and we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment for all our residents.”
On August 15, members of the Proud Boys, a classified hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, came to the city in a demonstration and were met by a group of counterprotesters. Violence between the groups erupted soon after, leading to several arrests. Among those arrested included an MLive reporter and a Public Observer. Reports by KDPS suggest that counterprotesters were the initial instigators, although other attendees say a Proud Boys member assaulted a homeless man first.
Charges against the reporter and observer were later dropped, and Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas apologized for the reporter’s arrest during a separate press conference.
Criticism had previously been aimed by citizens of Kalamazoo toward both city leaders and KDPS for their response to the event. Since then, city leaders say they have been working toward better communication and transparency to make sure that a similar situation does not happen again.
“We’re committed to transparency and accountability, and we welcome your input as we develop our plan of action for future events,” Chief Thomas said.
The City of Kalamazoo is also conducting a full internal review and is seeking an independent investigation into how its Department of Public Safety prepared for and responded to the Proud Boys march.
Additionally, a subcommittee has been working on a preliminary plan in dealing with future protests, a draft of which can now be viewed at the City of Kalamazoo website. The meeting was meant to discuss this plan and its recommendations.
According to city documents, recommendations for public demonstrations and media coverage include, but are not limited to the following:
Safety
- Ensuring the community is kept safe before, during and after large public events.
- Proactively preventing escalation and violent confrontations whenever possible.
- Working in advance with the organizers of these events, counter-protesters and other groups
- Implementing a credentialing system for media and legal observers to ensure they are clearly identifiable to police so they can do the important work they need to do in covering or observing these public events safely.
- Reaching out to national experts to provide training for members of the media and our public safety officers on best practices to support the important work of the press and observers while promoting safety.
Questions were fielded by reporters in virtual attendance regarding the credential system for media members, specifically how it will affect relations between reporters and police. The arrest of the MLive reporter was referenced, who had identified himself as a media member and was wearing a badge.
“We don’t want a repeat of what happened,” Chief Thomas said. “That’s why we recommend a credentialing system for media and legal observers to ensure they are clearly identifiable to the police. We are reaching out to national experts to provide that training so that both the media and officers on the best practices that can support this important work. We do want to get better, and we have to start somewhere.”
City Manager Jim Ritsema also suggested meeting with the media before future events.
“When we have events like that, beforehand, getting with the media and issuing those credentials helps everyone to identify each other proactively,” Ritsema said. “So when there is chaos and fluid situations, there is better chance of being able to identify reporters and observers so we don’t arrest them.”
Public Safety Assistant Chief of Operations Vernon Coakley, who attended the rally in person, said that the identification of the MLive reporter was too small, and that credentials should be larger.
“The credentialing that others have, in particular, I want to point out the Free Press reporter from Detroit,” Coakley said. “He had a great credentialing system on him that identified him very broadly, that he was a media person. We look to put training into this and the credentialing system from this subcommittee meeting.”
Mayor Anderson said the work of the media is crucial to effective government and communication.
“This is not what the city of Kalamazoo wants its relationship to be with the fourth estate,” Anderson said. “I am totally committed to the idea that we need a strong free press in order to ensure that we have the government we want to have. I believe this focus on creating a credentialing process, talking about this openly, is going to help address that.”
Officials also said that video footage of the event is still under review, and further charges against participants may come at a later time. It is also being reviewed for actions taken by police.
The full draft of the plan and its recommendations can be viewed here. A stream of the meeting can be viewed through WOOD TV 8 at this link.
Documents also state that City Manager Ritsema will present a timeline for implementing recommendations at the September 8th City Business Meeting. He will also provide periodic updates through the KDPS Transparency Page and future business meetings.
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