The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and their Criminal Law Reform Project filed a lawsuit in federal court this week against the city of Grand Rapids. At issue is a practice of trespassing arrests that defies constitutional protections. [Read more…]
Detroit Crime Commission to “Fill In Gaps” of Police
The Detroit Crime Commission, a nonprofit organization that was put together less than a year ago, is coming together to reportedly assist law enforcement, without having the same power as the police. According to the Free Press, the Commission, headed by former FBI agent Ron Reddy and former Michigan State Police inspector Ellis Stafford, is there to assist, to do things that the police might not be able to, whether due to lack of funding or otherwise. [Read more…]
Michigan State Police Forensics Academy to Standardize Cop Evidence Training
Police sergeants from across the state will be the first ones to gain access to a new Forensic Evidence Academy from the Michigan State Police. The academy is designed to teach cops about evidence collection and forensic procedures in an effort to streamline the evidence process and speed up the state’s labs. They hope to send officers through the academy beginning in 2013, after the initial “test drive.” [Read more…]
Free Press Uncovers Abandoned Police Evidence
In 2008 the Detroit crime lab located in Brush Park was ordered to be closed due to “sloppy investigations.” But apparently the sloppiness didn’t end when the unit stopped handling investigations. The Detroit Free Press found last week that the lab, housed in a former elementary school, still contained criminal evidence and files. [Read more…]
Roadside Drug Testing Coming to Michigan?
If some lawmakers get their way, Michigan will become the first state to allow law enforcement to test for drugs when they suspect a driver is under the influence. Similar to breath tests used in suspected DUI cases, these tests would reportedly alert cops to the presence of illegal drugs in a suspect’s body. [Read more…]
How Does the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Miranda Rights Affect Michigan?
Last month, the United States Supreme Court ruled on a case that changed how police did business across the country. It took a small step in watering down the Miranda Rights—those rights we all know by heart. Local officials in the Bay City area, however, state it will have little effect on the way things are done around there. [Read more…]