GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids has approved a new contract with its police unions, with city commissioners voting to implement a 12% raise spread over the next three years.
The city's chief financial officer says they'll have to allocate around $400,000 to meet the new contract for this year's budget. They added that it still aligns with their budget for the year.
Police Chief Eric Winstrom says he's thankful to see this commitment from the city. He says this is going to help his efforts in making GR safer.
“It puts us competitive with other agencies in the region here,” Chief Wistrom said to FOX 17.
In a last-minute add-on on Tuesday, city officials approved a handful of Grand Rapids police union contracts, seeing a 4% raise each year until 2028.
A city spokesperson further explained this agreement maintains existing contract terms, saying, "Recognition of the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) and the Civilian Appeals Board (CAB); as well as CAB’s and OPA’s ability to review certain types of records and complaints."
“We have a few years now of real stability, knowing what the men and women of the police department can expect,” Winstrom said.
The city’s top cop says these contracts are going to help set his department up for success in recruitment.
“So this fall, we'll be at or near full staffing. We'll look to increase the staffing number from there, as we look to the amphitheater opening, the soccer stadium construction, continuing development downtown, and in other parts of the city. So as the city continues to grow, we're going to need to grow with them,” the chief added.
During a recent city meeting, I found out that only 30% of Grand Rapids police officers actually live within the city. The chief, who previously worked in Chicago—where officers are required to live within city limits—explained that he can't enforce such a mandate here.
Instead, he supports using incentives to encourage officers to reside in the city.
“I'm not discounting the amount of love and compassion those officers [have]. They really care in Grand Rapids about this community, but then they go home and they care about that community as well, and their kids are in a different community, and they're involved in different events in that community,” Winstrom says.
It's a sentiment echoed by Mayor David LaGrand back in late July.
“There are costs, but there are huge benefits to the community in feeling like the police are us. And they sleep in the same city we sleep in,” Mayor LaGrand said.
The chief recognizes the support from the mayor.
“I think the mayor gets it. I think the mayor understands how important it is to really be invested in the success of the city as a whole,” Winstrom says.
I covered this same story three years ago when the last police union contract was approved. Back then, the city approved a 9.5% raise over a three-year period.
