Mayers II, Esq. speaks about policing transparency during Grand Rapids, MI press conference

The recent press conference held by the NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch followed the fatal police shooting of Da'Quain Johnson, which has prompted renewed calls for transparency and accountability in Grand Rapids. Community members are seeking the release of information, clarity about the circumstances of the shooting, and meaningful reform within the Grand Rapids Police Department.

During the press conference, Carlton T. Mayers II, Esq., Special Advisor for Public Safety, directly challenged city leadership.

“Fast forward. Where are we today?” Mayers asked, referencing reform efforts following the 2022 death of Patrick Lyoya. “There was no pattern or practice investigation. What do we get instead? … We get a bunch of training reforms, policy reforms … that’s great, but in my opinion, those are a bunch of ‘whats.’ In other words, that’s like checking a box on a list.”

Mayers emphasized that true cultural change requires more than revised policies.

“For cultural change, a lot of times you might need new people in new positions … to make sure that you get those kinds of new training and policy implementation that focus more on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what,’” he said. “We didn’t get the supervision change. We didn’t get the staffing change.”

He also supported pausing the police chief search, urging City Manager Mark Washington to ensure the community is involved from the beginning — including selecting the consultant — so reform moves beyond checklists to systemic change.