What changed in Detroit’s police department two years after protests to defund it?
The trajectory the police department were on since before the pandemic hasn’t changed much, according to WDET’s Eli Newman.
Two years ago, people across Detroit and its suburbs were hitting the pavement to advocate for racial justice and a fairer criminal justice system.
Protestors were even sued by the City of Detroit, but those lawsuits were eventually thrown out. But after all the demands, protests and advocacy, what has changed about police departments?
Listen: How Detroit’s history of federal oversight of Detroit police has remained fairly consistent over time.
Guest
Eli Newman is a reporter and producer for 101.9 WDET, covering breaking news, politics and community affairs. He says not much has changed in the last two years, with the Detroit’s police department budget actually increasing by $27 million.
“I think if you were to look at the budget that the police received this year,” says Newman. “Obviously, one of the primary calls during the protests was to ‘defund the police.’ Detroit’s police budget actually increased.”
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