Detroit Police Oversight Board Faces Mixed Attendance in 2024

As 2024 came to a close, the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners saw a notable shift in meeting attendance, revealing both progress and ongoing challenges. Despite improvements, the issue of attendance remained a significant concern for the oversight board.

Throughout the year, the board’s meeting records indicated that only one current member missed over half of the scheduled meetings, a decrease from four members in the early months of the year. While one commissioner made significant strides by increasing attendance, several meetings were cut short due to premature departures by some board members.

Commissioner Lisa Carter, representing District 6, had the poorest attendance record in 2024, missing 54% of meetings. She attributed her absences to her demanding role at Wayne State University, stating, “I attend meetings as my schedule allows,” and emphasized her commitment to subcommittee meetings and community events held later in the day.

In contrast, Commissioner Jesus Hernandez showed the most improvement, increasing his attendance rate by 62% from the first quarter. Despite efforts to contact him for comments, he declined to engage with reporters at a December meeting.

The board, established by the city charter in 1974, comprises eleven members – seven elected by citizens and four appointed by the mayor. Its responsibilities include recommending police policies, addressing citizen complaints, and voting on disciplinary measures and officer promotions. The board also reviews the police budget before mayoral approval. Members convene weekly for full board meetings and participate in committee meetings twice a month.

Board Chair Darryl Woods recognized the attendance issues but maintained they did not hinder the board’s duties. He expressed confusion over some commissioners’ absences, remarking, “there are reasons that I just don’t understand why (some) commissioners are not attending.”

Attendance Report

Attendance and Quorum Challenges

To conduct official business, including voting on disciplinary actions and policy recommendations, the board requires a quorum of at least six members. This quorum was achieved in all but one full board meeting in 2024. However, about 20% of meetings ended early due to loss of quorum, as indicated by official records and Detroit Documenters reports.

During a July session, former commissioner William Davis criticized the attendance issues, stating, “I think it’s criminal. Y’all need to make sure that if people are tuning in or coming down into the board meetings, that the board members are going to be there and be there on time.”

Commissioner Willie Burton was often mentioned as a reason for early adjournments. On December 5, he left during a motion, prompting Chair Woods to express frustration, “This is not a playground. We need to take care of the people’s business. It’s an affront to the citizens of the city of Detroit, and I detest it.” Burton declined to comment.

Compensation Concerns

Board members do not receive salaries but are given annual stipends of $6,879 for the chairperson and $4,626 for other commissioners, regardless of attendance. Their responsibilities extend beyond meetings to include reviewing materials related to promotions, discipline, and citizen complaints.

Chair Woods argued that the stipends fall short of the work required, stating, “When you talk about the amount of money, the stipends that we get, that can’t be compared to the work that we do to be able to serve the citizens of the city of Detroit.” He advocated for higher compensation for commissioners.

This article first appeared on Outlier Media and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.