GRIID interview with Grand Rapids Pullover Prevention

GRIID – As a new autonomous group in Grand Rapids what was the motivation or inspiration to form the GRPOP? 

GRPOP – Seeing the harm done in the name of “routine” traffic stops was the primary motivation to host a pullover prevention clinic. We have seen this harm in our own personal negative experiences with police, along with the tragic murder of our neighbor Patrick Lyoya – stopped for an expired tag. You can see the extension of these patterns at a national level – the data from Mapping Police Violence for traffic stop related incidents of violence can be seen at this link.

A clinic where we change burnt out brake and tag lights for free seemed like an actionable opportunity to improve the experiences and material conditions of people living in Grand Rapids by limiting the number of interactions with law enforcement. We have seen the success of these clinics in other Michigan cities like Ypsilanti (Ypsi POP), Detroit and Lansing (facilitated by the General Defense Committee) and are inspired and influenced directly by their work and practice.

GRIID – According to the Stanford Open Policing Project, police pull over more than 20 million motorists annually, with significantly skewed patterns of racial bias. Can you talk a bit about the realities and consequences of being pulled over by the police, especially for BIPOC people?

GRPOP – Remember that policing in the US originated with slave patrol – a violently racist institution that prevented and criminalized the free movement of black and brown bodies. The origins of policing can still be seen in the drastic disparities in outcomes of interactions with police between communities of color and their white counterparts.

Police often use an excuse of something minor like a burnt out brake, tag or tail light to initiate an interaction with the intent of finding something more substantial during the stop. Due to the inherent racism in policing, this practice is disproportionately used to target BIPOC drivers. We have seen locally and nationally the way that these targeted traffic stops can result in incredible harm and violence. The murders of Patrick Lyoya, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, and countless others are tragic outcomes of “routine” traffic stops. Even in less lethal circumstances, these interactions can lead to expensive tickets and court dates. If traffic tickets go unpaid, licenses can be suspended or folks can end up in jail. In this way, the financial impacts of unnecessary interactions with the police place an additional burden on all working class people.

All marginalized people are at increased risk of violence at the hands of police. Immigrant communities, visibly queer people and neurodivergent people are also routinely targeted and brutalized. This harm is not nameless or faceless and we recognize the humanity of those who had their lives stolen by this discriminatory state violence right here in Michigan:

• Patrick Lyoya • Riley Doggett • Samuel Sterling • Tony Cox 

• Jaquan Kiante Fletcher • Michael Contrell Adams III • Damon Grimes 

• Farhad Jabbari • Deven Guilford • Dominique Charon Lewis 

• Gabriel Vernon Stevenson • Antonino Thomas Gordon • Andrew Blowers 

• Brian Douglas Laxton • Kyle Anthony Goidosik 

We call for justice for those on this list and many more that would not fit in this article. Say Their Names!

GRIID – You have an event coming up on August 24th in Grand Rapids. Can you say a bit about what this event is about and how people can support your work?

GRPOP – On August 24th from 10am-2pm at First Community AME Church we will be hosting our first Grand Rapids Pullover Prevention (GR POP) Clinic and Mutual Aid Fair. We were delighted to learn that First Community AME Church specifically has a history of liberatory work here in GR. As noted in The People’s History of Grand Rapids, they hosted Kwame Ture, a dedicated Pan-Africanist and Black freedom fighter during the Civil Rights Movement.

At this event we will have trained volunteers checking vehicle brake, tail and tag lights and replacing burnt out/broken bulbs for FREE! The goal is to mitigate interactions with GRPD – put simply, if all your lights are working, cops will not have an easy excuse to pull you over. The GR POP event will also include a mutual aid fair – where community members and groups will get together to offer a wide array of services and resources to everyone who stops by. The mutual aid fair is open to anyone who wants to participate. We only have 4 rules:

1.) No Money   2.) No Cops   3.) No Electoralism   4.) No Bulls***

Ultimately, the best way to support this work is to ground yourself in community.  You can give someone a ride, help someone bring in their groceries, host a clothing swap, meet your neighbors. Showing up for eachother even when it might be inconvenient is how we start to build the future we imagine and we all have an integral part to play. We are interested in creating a fun and engaging event to show that, as Movimiento Cosecha says, “everything we need we can find in the community”.

If you would like to support GR POP specifically, you can volunteer for the event, organize with us or join the offerings at the mutual aid fair. You can email us at grpop616@gmail.com or message us on instagram @grpop616.

GRIID – Will people have to bring their own brake lights or other items to be replaced for this event, or will they have to pay for them?

GRPOP – Nope! This is a completely free event. We will have general inventory on hand and volunteers arranged for day-of bulb purchasing. To avoid any waits, you can complete this form to be sure that we will have your bulb on hand. It is important to us that this event is completely free due to our commitment to a mutual aid model of community care:

GRIID – Besides hosting pullover prevention actions like what you are doing on August 24th, what other actions or events are you hoping to plan, and how critical is the educational component of events like what will happen on the 24th of August?

GRPOP – The big dream is to build these clinics into the social fabric of the city and let this be a consistent, reliable space for people to get together and see how we can meet our own needs. To start, our plan is to host pullover prevention clinics every other month in different neighborhoods around Grand Rapids and proceed in ways informed by the communities expressed needs and responses.

Beyond this, we answer to the community. We will do whatever we can in our capacity to connect people with the resources necessary for healthy, happy and successful futures free from policing. We aren’t interested in becoming an organization that sets out to execute all mutual aid efforts ourselves but we want to be a source of connection, for community building.

While we are working to share and build skill proficiencies in our community – the unique educational aspect of this event comes down to the empowerment we can provide in spaces like this. We already have phenomenal organizers in this city working to educate on abolition and the harm of policing specifically in BIPOC communities – groups like ACAbolition, Defund the GRPD, Comrades Collective, etc. We are here to create a space for exploring, in practice, what we can do without institutions like policing and to build confidence in our city that we can take care of each other.

GRIID – Is there anything else you want to share with our readers about what GRPOP, and how can people get involved who want to support this kind of work?

GRPOP – We are just a group of everyday people, some of us are experienced organizers and for some this is our first time flexing these muscles. We come with all different and nuanced experiences and skills and want to show those who maybe want to “do” something – you can just do it. You don’t need to be a member of an organization or work in the nonprofit world to connect with people working toward a shared vision or to bring that vision to life.

We really want to encourage people to get involved in mutual aid and community building. To support this work you can start with some very simple things like meeting your neighbors, taking someone to the doctors, helping someone with housework or car maintenance, organizing your own clinic or event to engage and serve the community. The options are really endless! If you want to get involved with GR POP specifically you can reach out to us on socials or at grpop616@gmail.com – even if you’re not sure what you have to offer in an organizing space we are happy to help you plug in and find your place – we all have one!