DETROIT – From traffic stops to service calls at home, everyday encounters with police can leave some residents feeling uncomfortable, confused, or even violated.
Now, the Detroit Police Department says it wants to change those perceptions by opening up about its procedures in a dialogue with the public.
On Saturday (March 7), DPD will host an interactive community summit on the city’s east side focused on “Procedural Justice & Police Legitimacy.”
The event is designed to give residents a chance to learn more about why officers do what they do in different situations, and to share their own questions and experiences.
“It’s a time where people can just come. They get to talk, have honest dialogue, and then there’s change,” said Chevonne Wilson, a community relations manager with Detroit Police.
Many of the concerns organizers expect to hear are familiar in Detroit and across the country.
Residents have long complained about being stopped or questioned by officers without clear reasons.
“The police don’t respect you. So, you’re not going to give respect back,” one resident said.
Neighbor David Estes said he believes strained relationships between police and the community are real and persistent.
“They pull you over for no reason. Just profiling you,” Estes said when asked about his concerns during police encounters.
DPD leaders say they want to confront those issues and perceptions directly.
Saturday’s summit will walk residents through police procedures in different scenarios, such as traffic stops or calls for service at a home, using “role reversals” to help explain officer decisions.
“If they had a negative encounter through a traffic stop, or a police officer got called to their home, or whatever, this is the time to learn about our procedures, through role reversals,” said Lt. Delicia Anderson, DPD’s chief neighborhood liaison.
Wilson said previous restorative practices meetings have helped shift perspectives, even when residents still disagreed with what happened to them.
“They came in really frustrated about particular instances that have happened to them,” Wilson said. “But when they left, I’ve seen them change. A subtle change. Like, ‘You know what, I still don’t agree with what happened to me, but I get it now.’”
Estes believes opportunities like this can help bridge the gap.
“Yeah, I think it would help,” Estes said.
Police officials say that’s exactly the goal.
“We want to continue to build trust. We want to continue to listen to their voice and be better as a department,” Lt. Anderson said.
The East Side Procedural Justice & Police Legitimacy community meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at SAY Detroit Play Center, 19320 Van Dyke Avenue, Detroit, MI 48234.
Registration for this event is closed, but organizers say residents will have another chance to participate at a similar community meeting on Detroit’s west side in June 2026.