Feds to Review Dearborn Police Department Use of Force Policy

DEARBORN, MI – After two deadly police shootings of unarmed African-Americans in a period of about a month, the Justice Department said Thursday federal officials will review the Dearborn Police Department’s use-of-force policies and provide de-escalation training under a federal program that provides technical assistance.

Intervention by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) comes at the request of Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad, whose department is operating under a cloud after the shootings on Dec. 23, 2015, and Jan. 27, 2016.

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The COPS Office will also work with the Dearborn Police Department to help develop a recruitment strategy geared toward a diverse population, conduct training on implicit bias and procedural justice, and host a regional workshop on the implementation of recommendations from the Final Report on the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

“Community trust is vital to effective public safety,” COPS Office Director Ronald Davis said in a statement announcing the program. “I applaud Chief Haddad for working to improve the relationship between his department and the community and for taking affirmative steps to bridge any existing gaps.”

On Jan. 27, Janet Wilson, 31, of Detroit, was shot and killed by after a short police pursuit following a disturbance at Fairlane Town Center mall. Wilson was shot dead after she allegedly attempted to run over a police, who pursued her after the dispute with mall security.

The services being provided to the Dearborn Police Department are part of the COPS Office Critical Response for Technical Assistance program designed to provide targeted technical assistance to law enforcement agencies dealing with high-profile events, major incidents or sensitive issues of varying need.