Created Equal: Why Grand Rapids police will no longer conduct no-knock warrants
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom joined the show to explain why the city banned the practice and why he believes they “do more harm than good.”
Residents protest the fatal police shooting of 26-year-old Grand Rapids resident Patrick Lyoya, April 16, 2022, in Grand Rapids.
Four years after the death of Grand Rapids native Breonna Taylor — who was killed by Louisville Metro Police during a botched no-knock warrant of her Kentucky apartment — police in her hometown are putting an end to the intrusive police tactic.
No-knock warrants are search warrants during which police officers are authorized to enter a premises without knocking or announcing their presence. In a Detroit Free Press op-ed published Wednesday, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom laid out the reasons why the city no longer conducts no-knock search warrants, and why he believes they “do more harm than good.”
On Thursday, Winstrom joined Stephen Henderson on Created Equal to discuss the move to prohibit them and why he thinks it will help foster more trust between law enforcement and the public. Henderson was also joined by award-winning author and historian Danielle McGuire to talk about what the constitution tells us about the physical privacy of one’s home – and when police can legally violate it.
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Guests:
Eric Winstrom is the chief of police in the city of Grand Rapids. He believes ending no-knock warrants and requiring officers taking part in a search warrant to wear and activate bodycams are important steps towards building a healthier relationship with the community.
“I have to — in order to build trust — have a constant track record of transparency,” he said.
Danielle McGuire is an award-winning author, historian, teacher and public speaker. She believes the weapons and tools police use make building trust more difficult.
“As long as the police see citizens and civilians as the enemy or enemy combatants, which is, in many ways, what the militarization of police allows for, then you can’t have a relationship built on trust,” McGuire said.
Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
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