GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom is showcasing the department's growth and progress since he took office, emphasizing changes in culture, training and procedures.
"Everything's changed at GRPD," Winstrom said during a presentation to city commissioners on Tuesday.
The chief's update comes months after a jury was deadlocked in former officer Christopher Schurr's case in the death of Patrick Lyoya.
"We have seen progress in two things. Number one, trust," Winstrom said. "I've seen the violent crime rate drop here, especially among our young people. Three years from now, I want to talk about how we're the safest city anywhere in the world."
Winstrom pointed out that changes in departmental culture have been key to this progress.
"We don't hire people because of their resume filled with criminal justice experience. We know we have top-notch training. We can train to elevate our recruit skills and police procedure so long as they have excellent character. That's why we revamped our psychological screening process to screen for propensity of violence and screening for bias," Winstrom said.
The chief emphasized his commitment to continued improvement.
"Policies, procedures, training, some of the big stuff," Winstrom said.
One procedure implemented following Lyoya's death is having two officers per patrol car.
"At night, the majority of the time, we have two officers in a car together during the day. It's hit or miss a lot of times. We have traffic enforcement cars that ride single," Winstrom said.
Another significant change under Winstrom's leadership is the adoption of 'Sanctity of Life' as a core principle in updated policing policies.
Since then, there have been at least five officer-involved shootings. The chief credits not just his policy, but how his staff has embraced the shift in mindset.
"We reorganized our command staff to prioritize and elevate our training and engagement unit, we transitioned from impact striking to grappling, Jujitsu focused subject control program," Winstrom said.
The department continues to grow its ranks, with Winstrom estimating they could have 300 officers on staff by this fall.
One of the most successful initiatives, according to the chief, is the partnership with Network 180 for mental health co-response.
"Our co-response team is just a model for, in my opinion, a model for the nation now out there all the time doing amazing work. It's something that 25 years ago, no one ever would have thought of. But it's a social worker and a police officer in a car together," Winstrom said.
Winstrom also noted that city staff are reviewing the executive order regarding the unhoused population, though he doesn't anticipate changes to how the department handles these situations.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
