Daily Briefs

Proposed human rights ordinance targets biased crime reports


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A proposed human rights ordinance in a west Michigan city includes penalties for violators, including those who dial 911 to try to use police to enforce their own bigotry.

WOOD-TV reports the proposed ordinance for Grand Rapids was developed during months of work and a public hearing is planned April 23 before the City Commission.

Grand Rapids Diversity & Inclusion Manager Patti Caudill says the “Biased Crime Reporting” section of the ordinance would target “the crying wolf when you see somebody who doesn't look like you in your neighborhood and you immediately call the police.” A violation could be punishable by up to a $500 fine.

Protected categories in the proposed ordinance would include age, ancestry, creed, conviction record, disability, color, gender identity and expression, among others.

 

Attorneys seek 25 years for man in Flint airport stabbing


FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Lawyers for a Montreal man convicted of stabbing a police officer at an airport in Flint, Michigan, have asked the judge to sentence him to 25 years in prison.

Amor Ftouhi was convicted in November on several charges in the June 2017 attack, including committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Witnesses said Ftouhi, who is Muslim, yelled “Allahu akbar” — or “God is great” — while attacking Lt. Jeff Neville, who survived being stabbed in the neck.

Ftouhi could get a life sentence. But in a memorandum filed Thursday in federal court in Flint, his attorneys asked that he be sentenced to 25 years in solitary confinement.

They wrote Ftouhi was depressed about debt and that he couldn't support his wife and children after moving them from Tunisia to Montreal. They have said he expected to be killed by other officers.

 

Benson outlines plan to address long lines, broken kiosks


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says she will unveil changes designed to shorten wait times and fix broken self-service kiosks at branch offices where people renew driver's licenses and conduct other business.

Benson, who took office in January, visited all 131 branch offices. She released her findings Thursday, her 100th day on the job.

The Democrat says one-third of self-service stations were broken and in general were difficult to use. She says many customers have to wait in line far too long to access basic state services.

Among Benson's plans are exploring multi-year license plates and automatic driver's license renewals. She recently pulled down an online appointment system available in some branches because it was giving customers inaccurate wait times, but her office has begun redeploying the technology.
 

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