GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Neighbors gathered at The Intersection on Tuesday for a meet-and-greet with the city's new chief of police, Joe Trigg.
WATCH: Chief Joe Trigg shares vision for department and creating partnerships
Community members had the opportunity to ask questions, welcome the city's new top cop, and learn more about his vision for public safety and building trust within the community.
"I think my vision has been the same; it's been consistent. I think any city, especially of our size, your number one priority is going to be safety," Trigg said.
Trigg has served as interim chief since March following former Chief Eric Winstrom's resignation. In June, city leaders picked Trigg over three other candidates to lead the city's police department.
Trigg said he's focused on recruitment, retention and creating an environment that keeps officer morale high. However, Trigg said his main focus for Tuesday night is community engagement and building trust.
"I want to see if there's something that we should be doing better, but also try to help explain some of our training and our tactics because I think a lot of it could be a misunderstanding or maybe even agree to disagree, but at least be transparent about it," Trigg said.
The Grand Rapids Police Department and city hall have dealt with some turbulence following the departure of former Police Chief Eric Winstrom, who cited friction with city leadership as one of the reasons for his resignation in March.
Both Trigg and Mayor David LaGrand downplayed any concerns and said they are looking forward to building a strong partnership.
"I've got a really good, solid relationship with my chief of police because the most important thing you've got to have in a city is public safety and… it's part of my job to support him doing that important work," LaGrand said.
"Truly, it's a collective effort to try to offer the best services we can as a city. So, we're only going to do that if we're working together. And working together is a lot more enjoyable if you have a good working relationship and understanding, and you can agree to disagree without, you know, having any issues per se. I think that's the goal," Trigg said.
Neighbors who attended said they appreciated the opportunity to raise concerns and ask questions directly with the new chief.
"Talking to him was very great. He was very understanding… We had a great conversation, and he's going to resolve the issues. I have faith that he's going to resolve the issues I was having," Tanisha Wiggins said.
Tuesday's meet and greet was put on by Voice For The Badge, a citizens' group designed to build trust and improve communication between communities and local law enforcement.
Organizers are planning another meet and greet Tue., Aug. 18. Click here for updates from their Facebook page.
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