GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Police Department began using Elucd back in June, the cost of the anonymous survey is the equivalent of adding a new officer.
The survey results work similarly to a credit score with 900 being the highest possible score. GRPD's bench mark scores were in the 700's in June. The randomly dispersed survey measures community sentiment toward police based on satisfaction, trust and safety.
Their numbers increased from June to July, before dipping by 3 percent overall in August.
GRPD Chief David Rahinsky said the drop, though slight in the grand scheme of things, was enough to take a deeper look.
"I think the highly publicized stop that we had in the last week of August involving a 17-year-old and two 11-year-olds that were alleged to have a firearm. That incident garnered national attention," Rahinsky said.
"I think it's safe to say, and I'm very comfortable saying, the conversations I've had with community leaders and civic leaders and neighborhood associations that that incident garnered some discussion, garnered some concern."
Juanita Ligon's twin 11-year-old sons were walking to buy a pizza with their 17-year-old family friend, when police surrounded them. Officers had been dispatched to the neighborhood on a report of an African American teenager in a red t-shirt walking around with a gun. The boys were unarmed, and officers later cleared them.
“I am glad to know that people do realize that it’s a problem and something needs to be done," Ligon said after learning of the survey results. "You know, it could be their children or grandchildren one day soon.”
Rahinsky said the officers responded appropriately, but said he understood why the incident drew attention.
"I think it gives us an opportunity when we can recognize this is an incident and this is the result to engage in those difficult conversations with communities as to why we do what we do, why these things that are sometimes difficult to watch still follow protocol and best practice," the chief explained.
Rahinsky said the key now is getting in the community to restore relationships. He said their department is already doing a number of these things - providing examples like: spontaneous basketball games or foot races and grabbing a cup of coffee with an officer.
“Ideally, I'd like us to be in a position where the officers know the kids and the kids know the officers. So, when we pull up to those scenes, there's an immediate recognition," he said.
Ligon said that should have already happened.
“It makes no sense to me that we’ve lived here for 10 years and the officers don’t know my children," Ligon said.
I am pretty sure all of these officers are not new, so if they were doing things in the community - they would know my sons. They are in front of the house playing basketball majority of the summer, they are out here cutting grass, raking leaves. They shovel snow up and down the block.”
When it comes to restoring the twins' trust in police, the department and Ligon are on different pages. Upon being asked if the department planned to meet with the boys, the chief said they had offered.
"But, we want to be respectful of the mother's wishes as well. So we don't want to force it. It's got to be on their timeline. It's got to be when she decides that the timing is right," Rahinsky said.
The offer is out there to be able to get together in a less structured environment to see the human side of what we do."
Ligon said no officer has reached out to her to make arrangements with the twins.
In the meantime, Ligon says the incident has changed the twins’ daily life and their behavior.
"It is to the point where most days I am taking them to school instead of them walking to the corner to get on the school bus," Ligon said.
Chief Rahinsky attributes some of their lack of community development to a lack of capacity. GRPD has 295 sworn in officers, which he says, is low for a city of Grand Rapids' size.
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Emma Nicolas is a multimedia journalist. Have a news tip or question for Emma? Get in touch by email enicolas@wzzm13.com, Facebook or Twitter.