BY BEN SCHMITT, The Detroit Free Press
In a policy change unveiled Friday under Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings, officers must now receive approval before talking to the news media.
A memo that will be read at police roll calls throughout the department states, “Corporate Communications is designated as the primary source of information concerning the activities of the department.”
Corporate Communications, located in police headquarters, is a liaison between the department and the media made up of four officers, two sergeants and a civilian deputy chief.
The memo states that all interviews must now be approved by Corporate Communications. The restriction doesn’t apply to designated officers and members of the police command staff. The memo doesn’t specify whether officers will be disciplined for violating the policy.
“We did not issue this to inhibit our officers,” Third Deputy Chief Tara Dunlop, who heads Corporate Communications, said Friday. “It was issued to give our officers more freedom to do their jobs. We are here to facilitate on both sides to ensure that the public gets the most accurate information.”
Assistant Chief Harold Cureton signed the memo.
“We’re not trying to control what people say, we’re trying to make sure accurate information gets out there by responsible people,” Cureton said Friday.
Former Chief Jerry Oliver did not implement such a policy, but other chiefs issued similar directives. Many officers have continued the practice of not speaking on the record to news media.
Last year, AFSCME Local 207 took city officials to federal court and won after leaders of the Public Lighting and Water and Sewerage departments directed employees to get approval before speaking to the media.
City officials rescinded the policy during a court hearing.
Bully-Cummings could not be reached for comment Friday but told the Free Press editorial board last week that her goal is to get accurate information out to the public.
“What happens is you’ll have a responding police officer that doesn’t know everything and all they can respond to is that particular incident,” she said. “And there may be more information that will help you put out a better story that is more true.”
Derrick Royal, vice president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, said the union would study the issue before taking a position.