Four companies compete to investigate Kalamazoo police
The City of Kalamazoo plans to hire an outside company to investigate how its public safety department managed two separate incidents this summer. Four firms have submitted bids for that contract.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety came under heavy criticism for how it handled two separate protests. In June, it responded to Black Lives Matter protests with pepper spray and a city-wide curfew. In August, it responded to a rally by a right-wing group with a largely hands-off approach until violence broke out.
All four firms vying for the contract are from outside of Michigan. MLive reports that the companies are based in South Carolina, California, Virginia, and Florida, respectively.
Whichever group is awarded the contract will have the responsibility to review KDPS’ handing of each incident, decide if officers followed department policy and best practices, and issue a report. There is no timeline for selecting a company or conducting the investigation.
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