The board that oversees Detroit police voted to approve Chief James White’s recommendations to promote four members of the department Thursday, despite having little time to review the promotion materials.
The Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) bylaws say, “The agenda and other materials will normally be provided to all Board members at least two (2) days before the regularly scheduled meeting.”
But Chairperson QuanTez Pressley told Outlier Media promotion materials would ideally be sent to board members at least a week in advance. He said materials for the officers who were promoted at Thursday’s meeting were sent to board members via email the night before.
Commissioner Willie Burton made a motion to postpone the vote because he said the information arrived too late. The motion did not get a second.
“We must not rubber-stamp any of these promotions today,” Burton said. “We have been down this road before where this board has approved promotions, and it came back to backfire against this board.”
Commissioner Darryl Woods countered, saying BOPC staff sent the board members background materials on the police officers in question.
“Our team got us all of the complaints that they may have had or any of the things that they possibly could have went through,” Woods said. “So, it was a deep dive into this matter. … There’s no rubber stamp here.”
Commissioner Linda Bernard wasn’t concerned about the amount of time she had with the materials because she trusts the chief’s recommendations.
“If you have confidence in your CEO, then you approve the persons that he or she wants to promote,” she said.
Bernard went on to explain her standards for advancement. “You don’t have to be squeaky clean to get my approval for your promotion,” she said. “As a matter of fact, the person that has no dirt on their uniform never got in the game.”
Pressley said Detroit Police Department (DPD) officials sent materials to the board staff last week. However, those materials were not included in the packet emailed to board members on Jan. 30 for the Feb. 1 meeting because he intended for the promotions to be discussed the following week, at the Feb. 8 meeting.
“But when I was made aware from DPD that Chief White wouldn’t be in town next week, and they were requesting that we would try to handle it while he was here, we made accommodations for that,” Pressley said.
The vote was not postponed because the promotions were “essential to the operations of the department,” he added.
“You don’t have to be squeaky clean to get my approval for your promotion. As a matter of fact, the person that has no dirt on their uniform never got in the game.”
Police Commissioner Linda Bernard
Capt. Matthew Fulgenzi was promoted to commander. Erica Frederick, Shannon Hampton and Dana Russell — all lieutenants — were promoted to the rank of captain.
While some officers were being promoted, others were being disciplined. The board went in and out of closed sessions four times to discuss taking action against officers. The details of these cases were not made public at the meeting.
The board voted alongside White’s recommendations to put the following officers on administrative leave without pay:
- Officer Joshua Goodman — badge No. 2170, assigned to the 10th Precinct
- Officer Brianna Cabano — badge No. 2806, assigned to 2nd Precinct
- Officer Dayna Sears — badge No. 4171, assigned to 2nd Precinct
The board went against White’s recommendation and decided that another officer — Serge Laville, badge No. 2529, assigned to Downtown Services — should not be placed on administrative leave without pay.
The BOPC Policy Committee’s next meeting is Feb. 6. The BOPC is also hosting an evening community meeting Feb. 8.
Detroit Documenters Bridget Scallen and Robert Dewar contributed to this story.
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