8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS RACIAL JUSTICE ELI SRI RANGARAJAN U-M student contributor On November 9, 2014, Aura Rosser was shot and killed in her own home by Ann Arbor police. In the following days, months and years, Ann Arbor’s community alongside the growing nationwide Black Lives Matter movement, took action and protested against racist policing and the lack of police accountability throughout the US. No matter how hard we fight, it can often feel like no change actually occurs. Political figures constantly leave us with empty promises rather than tangible solutions. But, even if it's hard to notice, there is change. In 2018, as a result of the mobilization of communities across our country in alliance with BLM, Ann Arbor’s Independent Community Police Oversight Commission (ICPOC) was formed. With a goal of not only reducing harmful policing but improving community police relations as a whole, every aspect of its creation was intertwined with community feedback. The Commission consists of 11 voting members, one of whom is a youth member, and most of whom are part of specific committees within ICPOC. Committees include the policy, training, outreach and information committees. The bulk of each Commission meeting consists of reports from these committees followed by discussion among Commission members on ways to handle the issues that arise. At the September 24 meeting I attended, for example, the policy committee presented a concern surrounding the legal requirement for police body cameras. A complaint had been received that a specific policeman had arbitrarily switched off his body camera while at a University of Michigan protest, despite the potential for escalation. As Commissioner Randy Milgrom argued, legislation surrounding these cameras is extremely ambiguous, especially when these cameras are vital in holding police accountable. What followed was an engaged discussion between the Commission and Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson who attends the meetings alongside colleagues. The result was not only an increased understanding on the issue from both sides, but an agreement that in the subsequent days AAPD would revise the policies and send them to the commission for reapproval. It was somewhat shocking. Police and the Commission actually seemed to be listening to each other. AAPD seemed to understand that this was an opportunity to improve, and the commission did as well. In an environment often rife with polarity, the space invited a mutual respect that was extremely refreshing. At the closure of the meeting, ICPOC Commissioner Bonnie Billups went out of his way to explicitly thank officers who had shown compassion in their work in a specific situation. It truly felt like both sides were fighting for our community. Distrust has defined our police-community relations in the past, and although ICPOC is nowhere close to an all-encompassing solution, this type of collaboration and communication is the first necessary step towards an environment where police and the community support and engage with each other rather than demonize and clash with each other. It is a symbol that the constant effort so many have dedicated to reducing racist and brutal policing might actually be paying off. ICPOC meetings occur once a month; the next one will be held Tuesday, November 26 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. ICPOC’s public office hours (which allow other community It has been 10 years since Aura Rosser was murdered by the Ann Arbor police. members to be heard in the dialogue surrounding healthy policing) are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. -5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Any community member can attend these meetings. A police complaint form can be found on their website: https://www.a2gov.org/ dep ar tmen ts/cit y-c ler k/ Boards-and-Commissions/Pages/ Independent-Community-Police-Oversight-Commission.aspx NOVEMBER 1, 2024 One commission towards a better police mission
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