East Lansing

ELIPOC holds community workshop to address use-of-force concerns

By |

The East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Committee recently held a workshop to gather input from residents on what actions the East Lansing Police Department should take to “minimize use of force and eliminate its disproportionate use with people of color.”

The workshop, led by seasoned facilitators Carlton Evans and Doak Bloss, was meant to generate ideas from residents which, after being compared with ELPD’s current policies, will be converted into concrete policy recommendations by ELIPOC. A subsequent meeting on Nov. 1 will be held to ensure those recommendations reflect the wishes of the community. During the meeting, members of the community worked in small groups to create policy goals which were then presented to the meeting. The most common suggestions included emphasizing de-escalation practices during training and a stronger system for internal accountability within the police department.

News

East Lansing City Council discuss resolutions for creating a temporary police oversight commission

By |

The East Lansing City Council discussed public safety and police reform that led to lively four-hour council meeting on June 23 which was conducted via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. East Lansing councilmembers discuss new resolutions for new temporary overnight commission with input from the community. Issues ranging from an East Lansing Police Officer Andrew Stephenson, who was accused of using excessive force on a black man back December has been a controversial topic from Lansing citizens calling into the meeting. Police reform, public safety, and defunding the police were among many other issues that have no solution that was discussed in the meeting. https://soundcloud.com/cera-powell-538569031/east-lansing-citizen-response-to-andrew-stephenson-case

“The agenda item is certainly not the whole solution but it’s part of it, it’s an idea,” City Councilwoman Lisa Babcock said.

East Lansing

Cedar Village Destruction

By |

 

EAST LANSING – Thousands of MSU Students took to the streets early Sunday morning, December 8 to celebrate Michigan State’s win over Ohio State in the 2013 B1G Championship Game. Fires were set to couches all over East Lansing, with a rowdy celebration ensuing in Cedar Village, just East of MSU’s campus. Students burned whatever they could find, including trees, the shirts off their backs, couches, and matresses. They even uprooted multiple trees and bushes to burn. Police were on the perimeter of Cedar Village, but did not take action until Michigan State Police and SWAT teams arrived around 2:30 AM. East Lansing Police reported that at least 57 fires were set around the city, and 15 arrests were made.