Michigan lawmakers discuss potential police reform plans

Protests continue across the U.S.

DETROIT – Michigan state representatives revealed their plans to transform police and public safety Wednesday morning.

The reform plans are coming from Detroiters and many -- Like Rep. Tenisha Yancey -- have law enforcement backgrounds. Yancey was an assistant Wayne County prosecutor.

Yancey said facial recognition technology has to go due to how often it identifies people of color incorrectly.

RELATED: Innocent Metro Detroit man arrested after facial recognition software identified wrong man

Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo said the idea of changing police to end choke holds are ideas that need to be talked about all over the state.

The press conference unveiled the Equal Justice for All plan, which revolves around four pillars of reform: police accountability, use of force protocols, community oversight and reinventing public safety.

Rep. Tyrone Carter spent 25 years as a Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy. As a law enforcement veteran, he said the actions of the Minneapolis police toward George Floyd changed law enforcement forever.

“We had a lot of goodwill prior to the pandemic,” Carter said. “We have to do to get that back.”

The plan aims to introduce legislation to strengthen police accountability by establishing measures to require independent investigations in police involved shootings and excessive force cases and hold police accountable.

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About the Authors

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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