GM RenCen security surrendering arrest powers after allegations of racism, excessive force
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Private security at the GM RenCen in Detroit will relinquish its power to make arrests after allegations of racism and abuse at the hands of security officers emerged.
Security guards licensed under Public Act 330 have the ability to make misdemeanor arrests, and officers with the Renaissance Center Management Corporation (RCMC) were licensed under the act.
Tim Burgeois, the executive director of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, said RCMC security stopped making arrests in December 2023, and they will surrender their PA330 license by March 12.
This update comes after officers at the RenCen were accused of racial profiling and using excessive force against people referred to as "undesirables."
'Undesirables': GM RenCen officers accused of racism, assaults to keep some away from Riverfront
A security director at Detroit's Renaissance Center says they've been told to focus on 'undesirables' over the past 6 years - the majority of which are Black men and women. On Friday, GM said it has removed the accused officers, who are under review, while an investigation is underway.
Robert Barnes, who has spent more than three decades working security at the building, claims the racist behavior started when Larry Payne became the new security director at the RenCen in 2017. Payne works under G4 Secure Solutions USA, GM's security contractor. In 2017, Barnes claims the culture quickly started to change, and it was obvious who security was targeting.
"Then I called Larry Payne and explained the situation. I was like it happened again. That’s when he made the comment that General Motors wants us to be more aggressive with 211s," Barnes said. "211 (is) our radio code for undesirables."
That term is not used to describe what that person is doing. Rather, it's used to identify a person. The code Barnes first heard about years ago would soon lead to seemingly unwarranted, unprovoked, and race-based violent attacks.
GM removes RenCen officers accused of racism, abuse following FOX 2 report
On Friday, General Motors said it has removed the accused officers - who are under review following FOX 2's report that shined light on years of racism and abuse at the Renaissance Center. Michigan State Police are now investigating the criminal allegations.
One of those alleged attacks happened to Demarco Brown in October 2020.
Brown got a room with his girlfriend at the RenCen Marriott to celebrate his birthday. When he left the hotel to get the cake, five security officers refused to let him back in because he didn't have a mask. It was a policy due to COVID-19 but it wasn't in effect at the time.
"(There were) so many people, what else could I do? I weigh 140 pounds," Brown said. "I just said Black Lives Matter because he was obviously discriminating against me to not get into the building, and that is when everything took a turn. It went from him to a bunch of security guards."
Brown had no weapon, made no threats, and no physical contact was made. Still, five security guards pushed and attacked him.