The Kalamazoo City Commission heard public comment on a police response at Spring Valley Park.
Vice Mayor Drew Duncan said the city violated its own use-of-force policy.
The incident began as a noise complaint at a recurring Sunday community gathering that has drawn residents to the park for several years. According to speakers who cited dispatch records, the first officer to respond did not report hearing loud music, but the situation grew into a larger response involving multiple officers, license plate collection, and chemical irritants. Community leaders, clergy, NAACP representatives, and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) officials have since met to discuss the incident, though several commenters said they wanted the outcome of that meeting communicated directly by KDPS rather than secondhand.
Dozens of residents spoke, many saying the response reflected a pattern of the “mobile nuisance party” ordinance being applied unevenly against Black community gatherings, and calling for KDPS to release body camera footage and dispatch records. Other speakers who attended the June 28 gathering described it as peaceful and family-oriented before police arrived.
Vice Mayor Duncan addressed the incident directly during commissioner comments, saying officers’ use of chemical irritants near children and elders violated the city’s own use-of-force policy. He asked his colleagues to direct the city manager to rescind any citations issued that day, and said he was not part of a subsequent meeting between city officials and community members. “Black people experiencing joy, it’s not a threat,” he said.
Commissioner Alonzo Wilson II reflected on completing his first ride-along with KDPS after three years in office, saying he had put it off out of fear rooted in “generations of lived experiences” with policing. Mayor David Anderson, returning after an illness-related absence, said he remains committed to ensuring “all residents are included and feel supported,” and voiced support for City Manager Malcolm Hankins.
Also on the agenda: The commission approved its consent agenda, including a $135,000 housing grant to Community Homeworks for critical home repairs and code enforcement, along with several infrastructure contracts. In a 5-1 vote (Commissioner Jae Slaby dissenting), the commission added an ESG-screened bond fund option to the retirement portfolio. City Attorney reported the city is on pace to process more than 4,000 FOIA requests this year, most related to KDPS body camera and dash camera footage. Deputy Clerk shared August 4 primary election deadlines, and City Manager Hankins flagged upcoming Medicaid eligibility changes that could affect thousands of county residents.
