KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo City Commission has unanimously voted to receive two Justice Assistant Grants (JAG) for local law enforcement.
The grants are paid out by way of the U.S. Department of Justice. Commissioners voted to accept grant funds from both the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.
Previously, the Board had voted in 2018 against accepting the grants over concerns relating to ICE and how immigration issues would be addressed with the funds.
Kalamazoo City Attorney Clyde Robinson pointed out that, in a recent federal court injunction regarding multiple cases, it was decided that the immigration-related conditions were not constitutional. The grants can be accepted without adhering to the guidelines.
The injunction is permanent, although some of those cases are on appeal at this time.
“In every one of those cases, the federal district judges have found that those conditions that were attempted to be inserted…by the Trump Administration were unconstitutional for a variety of reasons,” Robinson said. “Some of the conditions violated the 10th amendment, which prohibits the Federal Government from commandeering state and local governments to do its work, or its bidding.”
City officials maintain that they will not ask stopped civilians for immigrant identification.
“While the Trump Administration is appealing these, number one, I feel confident that the court will be upheld,” Mayor David Anderson said. “Until that injunction is lifted, we can operate under that injunction.”
City Manager Jim Ritsema said that the funds will be used to purchase equipment for City and County officers.
Public Safety Assistant Chief Ryan Tibbets was also called to further explain how the funds will be used.
“We applied for the 2019 JAG grant, and what we specifically applied for were protective shields for our front line patrol officers,” Tibbets said. “We also applied for stop sticks for our front line patrol officers, as well as body-worn cameras for our front line patrol officers.”
Ultimately, the board unanimously voted to accept both grants.
The 2018 grant comes in the form of $92,200. The funds will be divided into $71,884 for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department will use $20,316 of the grant funds.
The grant for 2019 will come in the form of $91,036. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety will use $70,128, while the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department will use $20,908 of the funds.
