DetroitUncovered
This page was last updated: July 29, 2010
Your Source for Information
Charter Meetings Schedule
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Mayflower Congregational UCC
7301 Curtis Avenue
(Northwest Detroit)
Topic: Economic Development & Planning
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Kemeny Center
2260 South Fort Street
Detroit, MI 48217
(Southwest Detroit)
Topic: Privatization
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On The Beat
Harvey Santana for
State Representative, 10th District
"Strong Leadership for Tough Times"
www.votesantana.com
Detroit CAN (Detroit Citizens Action Network)
Detroit CAN is our 527. A 527 Group is a tax-exempt group organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code to raise money for political activities including voter mobilization efforts, issue advocacy and the like.
Mission Statement:
Detroit Citizens Action Network was inspired by active citizens of the city of Detroit. Its purpose is to promote Detroit through civic engagement, informing the public, educating voters and developing ethical and accountable leaders.
As our mission statement says our purpose is to educate and inform. The result we hope will be a better informed public who will then take that knowledge and be guided by it as they select their leaders. We also plan to provide valuable information about individuals and groups who are not the best example for the people of Detroit. like former chief Ella Bully-Cumming.
To find out more information or assist mail:
Detroit CAN
P.O. Box 442014
Detroit, MI 48244
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Council members hand out raises to staff, Really?
Council members Pugh , Tate and Spivey gave out raises to staff members who were already making salaries of $70,000 -$90,000 a year. The explanation given was that these staffers don't receive benefits and they work long hours.
The garbage man, firefighter and police officers work long hours too and they've been asked to tighten their belts or face layoffs. Council just finished up a budget battle with the mayor where they sought to make deeper cuts in city services and many of them including President Pro-tem Gary Brown, who is paying a staffer $100,000 a year, said Mayor Bing didn't cut deep enough. This same council removed nearly a million dollars from Research and Analysis and cut that staff so that they could then use those dollars to pay their staffers benefits. So if you provided money in your own budget for benefits how can you make the case that these raises were issued because they don't receive benefits? Not good.
Evans video over the top
Soon you will finally get an opportunity to see the sizzle reel that's been discussed around town for months. This is the video that Chief Warren Evans had produced to shop around to cable networks for his own reality TV show. According to publish reports when Mayor Bing saw the 6 minute video his response was "hell no". But after viewing it ourselves we wonder why his response wasn't you're fired.
The video opens up with the words, "Welcome to Detroit Goddamit" and it gets worse from there. Chief Evans is standing in front of the old train station with an assault rifle under his arm and he says repeatedly , "I will do whatever it takes". During the video there is Chief Evans walking down the middle of Temple street in the Cass Corridor doing his best impression of John Wayne which is apropos since much of what you view are cowboy-ish tactics. This is not a good representation of what Detroit is and its appalling that the Chief of Police would depict Detroit in such a sad negative light. That was somebody's son laying in the field riddled with bullet holes but Evans didn't have enough respect for that dead person or his family; its all about "getting the shot". After viewing the video you will walk away wondering if "getting the shot "and these cowboy-ish tactics will cost the city of Detroit severely. You can talk all day about stats and lowering the crime rate but should it be at any cost? If you believe the video yes, its at any cost.
Mayor Bing must let go
There are several investigations underway regarding Warren Evans, some of which will be revealed soon. The question for Mayor Bing at this point is how much is too much. We know that Deputy Mayor Saul Green brought him here and we know that its Green's reputation on the line if Bing must fire Evans. Beginning with the relationship with Lt. Patterson to the many examples of temper tantrums that have been detrimental to the city and police department all the way too the resulting investigations his presence has been an abysmal failure. Its ironic that just today Chief Evans is holding a press conference to announce the capture of the bus stop shooter from a year ago. The youngman turned himself in. It was that shooting that was the impetus for removing Chief Barren from his job, or so we were led to believe. The reality is it was pure politics that caused Barren to be fired because Deputy Mayor Saul Green didn't like his choice for Assistant Chief . Since that time there have been at least a half dozen high profile incidents where life has been lost. And that's not even inclusion of the double or triple murders we see on any given weekend. So at the end of the day has Evans really moved the needle? Has morale of officers improved at all? Is Detroit any safer? If the answer to all those questions is no what's the greater good? The city stands to lose millions in suits and the police department is losing the institutional knowledge and experience it so desperately needs because those who can retire will instead of being insulted, harassed or picked on by Evans or his girlfriend Lt. Patterson. So far there has been no legitimate empirical evidence of a drop in crime but for argument sake lets say crime went down a few percentage points. If we are scandal ridden and making national headlines because of leadership that lacks moral or ethical fiber, (post-kilpatrick), are we better off?
Election day nears
As election day grows closer its time to take a look at some of the hotly contested races for State Senate, State Representative and Commissioner. Many of the races are too quiet but one that seems to be getting hotter each day is the State Rep race in the10th District. Over there you have Harvey Santana taking on David Stephen and Stacey Pugh. Pugh, the cousin of City Councilman Charles Pugh is reportedly getting a lot of assistance from the Lelands who've had a questionable track record in the District and have been criticized for not living in the District. In fact its be known for years that they live in Okemos and for unknown reason the voters in that District have elected a Leland time and again. "Daddy Leland", Burton is running against Monique Baker-McCormick for a seat on the Wayne County Commission. At issue in the 10th District seems to be the theft of yards signs which is a common practice in politics. Not saying its right but it happens too often to be a big deal. Seems to us that Pugh who would appear to be trailing in that race is the one doing the finger pointing.
Water Deal
Last week it was reported that the Water Commission that oversees the Detroit Water Department had purchased land from the the city of Detroit for $17 million for a water basin. This deal is raising a lot of eyebrows and it will no doubt raise a few more if what we hear is true. Our sources say that the city of Detroit built a water basin on that land in 2002 and the Water Commission has been managing the basin since 2005. What is unclear at this point is whether or not the property was already owned by the Water Commission and this purchase is nothing more than a cash transfer to help the city with its financial woes.
Brown: I've got the votes
City Council President Pro-Tem Gary Brown say he's got the votes to place the question of Detroit schools on the ballot. According to sources City Councilman Brown told Mayor's liaison to the Council Kamal Marabu that he has the votes to put the Mayoral takeover of DPS on the ballot for November. We're told that Brown is planning on introducing a resolution before next Friday when Council is scheduled to go on vacation. If its not done by next Friday it will not be on the ballot come November. The group seeking to do this has reportedly collected 30,000 signatures but they didn't make the required deadline in order to get it on the ballot. They now need City Council to help them circumvent the law to put the advisory question to voters regarding mayoral control of DPS. Brown was elected by the people last year , receiving the 2nd highest vote total behind Council President Charles Pugh. As it stand right now those we know to be sure no votes against this ordinance are Councilwoman Brenda Jones, Councilman Kwame Kenyatta, Councilwoman Joann Watson, Councilman Tate and Councilman Andre Spivey. That leaves Cockrel, Jenkins , Pugh and Brown.
Keep the respect
This Council promised us that they would be civil and respectful , something we didn't always see from the previous Council's. Kudos to Councilman Spivey for his apology to Reverend David Murray after some not so kind things were said about Murray and former school board member Otis Mathis by Council President Pro-Tem Gary Brown.
"This body ought not to personally attack anyone who comes to the table," Spivey said. "We need to discuss the issues and the issues only." The same people that elected Gary Brown, elected Reverend Murray and Otis Mathis.
Evans Fired!
Chief Warren Evans resigned from his job today. After getting a visit from Deputy Mayor Saul Green this afternoon at about 12:30pm a statement was released by Evans announcing his leaving. Was he asked to go? Of course. Did he want to leave ? Absolutely not? But he had to go and the reasons are many. Evans was an immature boss who couldn't conform to the standards set by the Detroit Police Department. In addition there were and are several investigations as it relates to his relationship with Lieutenant Monique Patterson and citizens complaints claiming abuse. But the coup de grace is the video tape of Evans exhibiting some cowboy like behavior. It has been clear to many with the organization and others outside of the organization that this move placing Evans over the police department was a failure.
Who's next to be chief? No national search needed
So now what happens? The morale boost the police department has received with the departure of Evans could immediately expire if the right choice is not chosen as his replacement. Assistant Chief Godbee who will be the interim chief would appear to be the favorite. What he would do for an executive team is a sticking point for many officers. Should he be given the job surrounding himself with experienced people is key. Many, if not all of the people Evans brought with him must go especially Assistant Chief Meyers. If for some reason Mayor Bing determines that Godbee should remain the #2 person and he wanted to bring in another chief there are several to choose from. The name making the rounds downtown is Gary Brown. It's not likely that Brown would leave his Council seat to take this job because of his growing political ambitions. Brown is more than qualified but not favored by many officers. Others include former Chief Charles Wilson, former Deputy Chief Craig Schwartz, former Deputy Chief Sidney Bogan or he could swallow his pride and call former Chief of Police James Barren and beg him to return. That call would have to come from Bing himself but there is no guarantee Barren would answer considering how he was treated by Saul Green and Mayor Bing. Morale took a major hit and has yet to recover after Barren was let go. Bottom line is there is enough talent in this area and formerly with this department without conducting a national search, that's what got us in this mess in the first place starting with Jerry Oliver. The police department needs to take advantage of the talent its had over the years. For this situation people familiar with the culture should lead the department.
Here is the exclusive video tape shown by Channel 7 of the sizzle reel produced for now former chief Warren Evans. Channel 7 decided not to show some parts of the video., but you get the idea anyway.
Bing correct, Evans put city at risk
Many time when people talk in terms of the police department they always mention the millions that are paid out yearly in lawsuits. Its been reported that the department paid $39 million over the last few years in suits. Evans removal was important because of the potential for more suits. Any decrease in crime numbers are far outweighed by what he could potentially cost the city in lawsuits. Before praise is heaped on him for lower crime numbers that are in dispute anyway we should wait for the other shoes to drop and weigh the cost in its entirety.
Evans went Rogue
"I don't get the big fuss"
He thought he was Teflon. He thought he could do whatever he wanted. He thought he didn't have to answer to anybody. He didn't get it. On Facebook Evans says, "It's a shame when its problematic for two single adults to date," Evans said in a Facebook posting. "Shame on me for not hiding it! Or being married with a girlfriend on the job like so many others." "I don't get the big fuss! It's a producers product." It was a product that was approved by Evans. In addition to the video the problem was allowing your girlfriend to run amuck. Outgoing Public Information Director John Roach said the police department has no policies against fraternization. Though that maybe true it was still an ethical issue that potentially exposed the city to legal action. Ethics rules forbids a subordinate from having a relationship ( even consensual) with a supervisor. Evans removal was a conglomerate of a lot of issues. More facts will be revealed here and elswhere in the coming days. Essentially what happen is Evans went Rogue which cost him his job.
The purge at the top has begun with the naming of Assistant Chief Godbee as interim Chief and the removal of John Roach from his position of Director of Public Information and it shouldn't stop there. Among the first out the door should be Assistant Chief Lawrence Meyers and here's why.
"This is an illegal bust"
Those were the words heard by many, spoken by Assistant Chief of Police Lawrence Meyers the moment he arrived on the scene of the shooting that resulted in the death of Officer Brian Huff. Huff was killed while responding to a run to back up other officers. He entered the house and was struck by gunfire killing him instantly. Those words, spoken by the Assistant chief of police, overheard by many, are the primary reason that the Detroit News (Massive Police response raises new questions in Detroit Cop shooting, May 29, 2010) has been tracking this story and questioning why were there so many officers at that scene. Along with Huff there were several other officers shot at that scene. A man loses his life in the line of duty only to be questioned by an executive of the department immediately upon arriving at the scene. Even if Meyers is a trained investigator with remarkable skills in determining what had occurred was it smart for someone representing the city and the police department to have such an outburst openly and publicly before the investigation was anywhere near complete. Ron Scott of the Coalition Against Police Brutality went to that scene and made some comments for which he was rightly castigated. Meyers comments are appalling because this officer died representing the uniform that Meyers himself wears, even if he's only been wearing it for a short time. What this proves is that beyond the paycheck that the city of Detroit gives him there is no commitment to the uniform, the Detroit Police Department or the city of Detroit. When the question is asked why has morale within the police department shrunk to an all time low and why officers have no faith in this current leadership look no further than this incident and the words from a department executive. He should follow Evans out the door.
Sources: Recall language ready
According to our sources the recall language is ready and will be submitted on Monday. They however would not say who the recall would be for. In the past the names bandied about were City Council members Andre Spivey and Saunteel Jenkins, that however could've changed. Its not clear at this point if the recall language is for council members or the mayor. We will find out this coming week.
Evans behavior dangerous
Former Chief Evans will no doubt do the media circuit proclaiming his innocence in all of this now that he's been fired. But he's not innocent at all. His child like behavior and temper tantrums were a detriment to the community and to police officers. It was common knowledge that several high ranking executives were scolded because of arguments with Evans girlfriend Lt. Patterson. At Patterson's request Evans had removed from executive protection Officer Starks. And she was later kicked out of special ops and ordered placed on the afternoonshift. He set the city up for a harrassment lawsuit. This webmaster was transferred to the 6th precinct because he didn't like what was written here. The transfer was rescinded after several department executives told him he was wrong.
This 61 year old Chief, who's now proclaiming that he did nothing wrong.There are so many examples of a man who was out of control. He does not appear to be rational and behaves like a very insecure person. Evans is the quintessential older man attempting to relive his youth with fast cars and young women. For him the police department was a hot car he could show off to the ladies.
DPS Public Safety Officers Protest Outsourcing and Alleged “Double-Cross” By Teamsters Local 214
By Lance McGhee
On Monday July 19, Detroit Public School’s Public Safety Officers picketed against their own union, Teamsters Local 214, alleging that their union misrepresented them during negotiations which will lead to their jobs being outsourced to the private security firm Securitas this September.
To the chants of “AYYY YOOO, 214 Has Got To Go…,” disenchanted officers marched back and forth in front of the Teamsters Local 214 union hall located at 2825 Trumbull.“Those cowards sold us out,” was the sentiment of Lawrence Edmundson, a ten year veteran public safety officer for DPS. Officer Denise Grier, an eighteen year veteran public safety officer stands by the action of the members. “We had to plan a protest to get the union off their butts,” she said.
Currently, some Local 214 officers are in the process of seceding from Teamsters Local 214 to the Michigan Association of Police; where they feel they will be better represented. However, members must get approval from the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) before they can officially be a part of MAP.
During this transition, officers accuse Local 214 of failing to provide them proper representation while still collecting union dues from them. Members also accuse the Teamsters of trying to absorb the contracted Securitas guards into their union which they feel is a conflict of interest.
David Sutton, Business Representative for Teamsters Local 214 insists that the union has done everything within its power to fight for the jobs of the officers. When asked about attempting to “double-dip” on union dues for the contracted Securitas officers and DPS public safety officers, Mr. Sutton refused to comment.
According to Donnell Reed, representative for MAP, legally, the Teamsters Local 214 is still the official bargaining agent for the disgruntled members. “All unions have a duty or obligation to do everything they can to represent their membership,” said Reed.
Reed indicated that he personally read a communication signed by Joe Valenti, Vice-President of Local 214, stating that Local 214 approached the DPS school district about submitting a bid for the jobs of the officers. “I don’t know if it was factual or not,” he said.
Many attempts were made to contact Joe Valenti for comment on the matter but were un-successful.
Officers also expressed much concern over the professionalism of the Securitas team and the ability to secure DPS schools plagued with violence. Some like Officer Grier believe that Bobb’s plan to implement Securitas is an attempt to save money at the student’s expense. “Why is it that Bobb has DPS officers guarding him, but allows Securitas to protect our children,” said Officer Grier.
Officers insist that the rapport that they have established with the students of DPS allows them to prevent incidents and know who the troublemakers are. They also expressed concern that the brevity of training that Securitas guards in comparison to the amount of training DPS officers receive will also have a negative impact on the schools this September.
Securitas hourly guards only undergo 49 hours of training prior to working in schools. They have no arrest powers and or not allowed to carry weapons.DPS officers undergo 8 weeks of police-style training and are trained extensively in conflict resolution, defense, and also undergo some first-aid training.
On Jan.22 of this year, a Caucasian Securitas officer assaulted an African-American transfer student from Minnesota with pepper-spray at Mumford High School. In the January incident, student Tremayne Johnson was maced and handcuffed to a chair for two hours before his parents were contacted.
Thirty-two other students were also affected by the dispersal of the pepper-spray. Three students needed medical attention. When Principal Anthony Houston was asked in March what actions could be taken to prevent such attacks, Houston replied, “It will take time for the new security team to get to know the students.”
There are currently lawsuits pending against the district stemming from the Jan. 22 assault. As schools continue to close and class rooms become more crowded with students of rival schools, DPS officers fear that the safety of the students and staff are at risk under the watch of Securitas.
If you have any questions regarding this story, feel free to contact me at lmcgheeii@aol.com. Or call me at 313-799-1886.
No Dunlap
For one man to be more hated than Jerry Oliver, Ella Bully-Cummings and Warren Evans put together is absolutely amazing but its apparently true. Officers past and present start screaming expletives at the mere mention of the name of Robert Dunlap, former Assistant Chief of the Detroit Police Department. Whatever he did and whoever he did it to has left a lasting bad taste in the mouths of many. So its only appropriate that at a time like this, when the police department is going through another transition, there is caution and concern from the rank and file. Will he return? The answer is no. So before the stories start circulating this week of an imminent return of Dunlap we have it on good authority that he is one person who will not be coming back. So those holding their breathe can exhale.
Since were on the subject of not coming let's add Gary Brown to that list. This rumor circulated last week that he could be Warren Evans' replacement- not going to happen. The reason is ego and Brown has another agenda now that could include replacing Bing as Mayor. We've also heard that he's not liked on the 11th floor of CAYMC.
For those going; rumor suggest that Saul Green maybe leaving soon. Not forced out just tired and ready to leave. Some anticipate an announcement soon.
As for the police department, change must come but it maybe slower than expected because Chief Godbee has the interim tag. When he began's to make change we suggest he subscribe to that old line about marriage; something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue- heavy emphasis on blue.Meshing some new innovative leadership with some old experienced leaders who all have one thing in common, they wore the uniform.
Evans crony gone, community favorite returns
Larry Meyers who came over to the Detroit Police Department with now former Chief Warren Evans has been let go from his position as Assistant Chief. Unconfirmed reports say that former Detroit Police Deputy Chief Chester Logan will become the new Assistant Chief. Logan served in several capacities with the police department most notably as the Commander of the 7th precinct for many years.
Detroit Public School System as muddled as the attempt to take it
Make no mistake DPS is in shambles and has been for a long time. Its clear that we can't continue to do the things the way they've been done because it hasn't worked. But is the answer mayoral takeover? Many would say no, others argue that having a singular point of responsibility is the route we should be taking at this point; neither has made their case. The city itself is battling a major deficit and overcoming many recent scandals. How the current mayor will right the ship remains to be scene. What the plan is for righting the ship no one really knows. If the mayor had laid out a clear and concise plan on how he will deal with the city's problems it would probably have laid the foundation for why he should have control of the Detroit Public School system. Instead he's been silent on both the city's problems and DPS. Mayor Bing appears to not really want to take on the responsibility of DPS but others with influence and money want the mayor to have that authority even if its not this current mayor.
The bigger issue here is following the rules and those pushing this ballot proposal didn't. They didn't meet the deadline for getting this advisory question on the ballot for the November election and because they failed to meet the deadline they want City Council to give them a "do over". Election law is election law and if you fail to meet the necessary requirements-oh well. If we are going to start allowing "do overs" who's to say that future elections won't be fraught with people seeking to go before Council and request a "do over". Council should not even be dealing with this issue and if it were not for those with influence and money they wouldn't be.
What happen to Mr. Integrity?
City Councilman Gary Brown has been in the forefront pushing this planned "do over". He said, "It will be a travesty not to allow the voters of this city to weigh in." The contradiction in that statement is if this planned "do over" is successful voters will eventually lose their right to select a school board when the mayor takes over. Brown is clearly misinformed. Brown was lauded by many and given praise for his part in bringing down of Kwame Kilpatrick. He stood and appeared to many to be a man of very high principles and integrity. Now it appears that following the law and respect for due process is not as important as it may have been while he served the city for 26 years in the police department. He fought crime and he knows we don't give criminals "do overs" when they commit crimes. What example would this send to the kids in DPS schools who participate in sports and and other competitions, that when things don't quite go like you planned you get to wipe out the score and start over? Voters and residents of Detroit would have more respect for this group if they weren't; attempting to circumvent the law to take the school system. History is on their side, Detroit voters always vote for what they believe is in the best interest of the children. But breaking the rules to do it will only cause more discord. All involved including Councilman Brown should pursue their goal vigorously but with honesty and integrity to do less only detracts from their mission.
Bully's bad Judgement costly to city
The fallout from the reign of former Chief Ella Bully-Cummings continues this time with a settlement of a lawsuit paid out to pregnant police officers. The city of Detroit has settled a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of female Detroit police officers forced to go on unpaid leave when they became pregnant.
the four officers who were forced to go on unpaid leave during their pregnancies will each receive $55,000 and restoration of the banked leave time they were forced to use. In 2004, while Bully-Cummings was Chief, the department stopped offering light duty to pregnant officers, instead treating pregnancies like off-the-job injuries. Also this week an officer received a $20,000 settlement for what he said was retaliation for writing christine Beatty, kilpatrick's former lover a ticket. Voters need to be reminded that Ella Bully-Cummings is running for office to become a 36th District Court Judge.
To find out more about how you can prevent this from happening visit our facebook page Detroit CAN ( Citizens Action Network). Also join our Stop The Bull group on facebook.
Majority of City council votes no
The City Council by a vote of 6-3 said no to allowing the advisory question on to the ballot for the November election.Voting to allow this measure on the ballot were 3 of the new 5, they were Pugh , Brown and Jenkins.. Among those voting against the proposal were Tate and Spivey who should be applauded along with Jones, Kenyatta , Watson and Cockrel for respecting the process and the rights of the people. Now the group wanting mayoral control and work to get it on the ballot legally and legitimately.
