- East Lansing Police Chief Kim Johnson resigned from his position on May 20. He had served in the role since 2020.
- Now that a search will begin for a new police chief, neighbors shared what they hope to see in the department's new leader.
- Video shows one business owner and an East Lansing resident sharing their thoughts.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Tuesday, it was announced that Police Chief Kim Johnson resigned from his position. Johnson had been on administrative leave since April 11. Now that a search for his replacement has begun, I spoke with neighbors to find out what they hope to see in the next chief.
"We actually had a stabbing," Ali Haider said.
Ali Haider owns the 7-Eleven in downtown East Lansing and sits on the Downtown Management Board.
"A couple stabbings, a few shooting incidents in the downtown area," Haider said.
Despite instances of violence in recent years, Haider says that the increased security downtown has made him feel safer.
"Safety actually has been improving a lot," Haider said. "We actually did not have any incidents in the recent school year, or especially the end. But I think it's improving because we see a lot more police forces in East Lansing downtown."
And Haider isn't alone. Other neighbors downtown on Wednesday say they've also felt safer downtown after efforts from the city.
"I actually feel like downtown is very safe," Anna Karoub said. "I like that it's well-lit in the evening time and I really like being able to walk around and feel like I'm not worried about any safety concerns for myself."
As the city searches for a new chief, those neighbors say they'd like to see the department continue on their current path when it comes to downtown safety.
"As is, things are pretty good, pretty safe, and I like the precautions that are being taken downtown," Karoub said.
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