Former state legislator and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reserve officer Harvey Santana will serve as the newest member on the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners.
The Detroit City Council approved Mayor Mary Sheffield’s appointment of Santana to the board by a 6-2 vote. Council Members Gabriella Santiago-Romero and Denzel McCampbell voted no, and Scott Benson was absent. Santana’s term goes into effect immediately and runs through Sept. 23, 2031. The BOPC has 11 members; seven elected by voters and four appointed by the mayor.
The appointment comes amid questions and concern from some council members and members of the public over a potential conflict of interest based on Santana’s career as a public safety lobbyist and his role as a reserve officer for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Santana, the Michigan public safety and government affairs director of Just Safe, joined the council’s formal session by phone on Tuesday, to explain his advocacy role at the nonprofit and defend his integrity in response to critics.
Santana said that his collection of life experiences over 30 years has been honorable. He noted that he’s taken oaths to serve his country, as a former state representative as well as for a state-level appointment by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and with the sheriff’s office.
“I don’t know what would give anyone the impression that I’d do anything less than honorable on the board of police commissioners,” he said.
Santana also recited the scripture of Isaiah 6:8: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me.”
Prior to Santana’s brief address, McCampbell said he believes that there needs to be independent voices when it comes to police oversight. He told his colleagues that “I do believe that conflict is clear (with Santana)” and that he wouldn’t be supporting the appointment.
During public comment at last week’s formal session, activist and former Detroit Public Schools Community District Member Elena Herrada spoke out against Santana’s appointment, saying the BOPC should not have members who are law enforcement or law enforcement adjacent.
“It’s really hard to believe that there couldn’t be one person who could be appointed — or two, or three, or five, or seven — who are not police officers. We have a lot of citizens in the city of Detroit who are not police officers. Many of them would be very good candidates,” Herrada said at last week’s formal council session.
On Tuesday, other public commenters shared their opposition to having Santana on the police board, citing similar concerns.
“Mr. Santana has connections to police, policing and police unions,” said public commenter Jacob Smith. “He’s backed by all the forces of the city that want to stifle community control of the police and not strengthen it.”
During a Sept. 23 interview before the City Council’s Internal Operations Standing Committee, Santana said he wanted the unpaid weekly position — one often “under public scrutiny” — because “I want to be a part of this.”
“Public safety is evolving. It stands as a beacon of where we are as a society,” the 54-year-old city native said. “Detroit needs me, as I always need Detroit.”
To further sort out concerns over a potential conflict, Santana, during Tuesday’s formal session, explained that through his job as a lobbyist with Just Safe, he focuses on public safety advocacy at the state level. He said that he works on behalf of crime survivors, including victims of rape and human trafficking and as an advocate for mental health funding and restorative justice initiatives.
Even though Just Safe is registered as a 501c3 organization, under US law, nonprofits can engage in limited lobbying as long as it is not a substantial part of their overall activities.
“We (Just Safe) meet regularly with crime survivors to work with them and develop policies that they believe are better suited than what we currently have in Lansing,” he said.
District 5 Council member Renata Miller asked Santana during his Sept. 23 interview whether he hated the police. Miller stressed at that time to Santana that BOPC members “have to be fair and neutral in a society that already hates the police,” something she called “disturbing.”
Santana told Miller, “I am the police,” noting he served as a sheriff’s deputy in the county’s jail system and has acted as a reserve officer since 2018. He also vowed to hold accountable officers who step out of line.
“I’m gonna give it to you straight: If you’re my brother and you’re screwing up, you have to deal with the consequences. That’s all there is to it,” he said.
Santana vowed during his interview to meet with Detroit police captains from each precinct as well as individually with all members of the BOPC to understand their agendas and goals.
“I wouldn’t be stepping up to try to do this if I wasn’t serious about making some effective change and moving this city forward,” he said.
The former state representative noted his efforts while serving in the Legislature to push criminal justice reform legislation.
Santana said as a member of the BOPC he will lead by example and offer his educated perspective. A big area of focus, he said, is the controversial use of Flock cameras and the need for stronger guardrails around the use of the technology.
