FLINT, Mich. — Flint Police Chief Terence Green has accused city council members of putting petty politics ahead of public safety after they delayed action on a $99,000 grant for state-mandated police training.
The grant, intended for Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) training, was sent back to the finance committee during the Aug. 11, 2025 council meeting. In an Aug. 13 press release from the city, Green criticized the move.
“These council members should be prioritizing public safety and our community over petty politics,” Green said. “Failing to approve these grants for police training and essential city services could be viewed as an attempt to weaken the support and protection we provide.”
Several council members raised concerns about the effectiveness of the virtual training during the finance committee meeting held on Aug. 6. Green did not attend the meeting; instead, Sgt. Dominic Tefft responded to questions from council members.
Councilman Jonathan Jarrett urged the police chief and city administration to seek grant funding for in-person training, particularly in de-escalation.
While Councilman Dennis Pfeiffer supported the training, he said it was “probably a waste of time.”
“There needs to be more dollars for in-person training. You just admitted on the record it’s everything that everybody knows already,” Pfeiffer said. “To me, maybe it’s an ineffective program because, being online and virtual, it doesn’t capture their attention as much as it should when it’s in person.”
Council President Ladel Lewis supported approving the grant, noting that without it, the $99,000 would be pulled from the police department’s budget.
“This is a mandatory imposed refresher required by the state of Michigan. It’s been on our agenda for several months,” Lewis told Flint Beat. “Clearly, they are not operating on the same ground rules and that’s keeping Flint first. I don’t understand how, in one breath, colleagues can say police need training and then, in another breath, turn down training dollars. I feel like this, it’s their business as usual. So, now what?”
The final vote was 6-0 to send the vote back to the finance committee. The next city council meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Aug. 20.