A new billboard in Frandor is demanding the removal of East Lansing Police Chief Jennifer Brown, turning criticism of the department into a public message that drivers cannot miss. Community Activists for Justice said the sign will stay up until it sees change at the East Lansing Police Department.
The group said it put up the billboard to demand accountability over police use of force, racial disparities and the treatment of Black residents and young people. It also said at least five organizations and public bodies support Brown’s resignation or removal, though East Lansing Interim City Manager Annette Irwin said she does not know whether those positions reflect formal actions or only the views of individual members. She said that distinction matters.
The billboard appeared the same week the East Lansing Police Department released body-worn camera and surveillance footage tied to a woman’s August arrest outside Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub, a case that drew sharp criticism from local civil rights leaders, including the NAACP. That video release put the incident back in the center of a dispute that has already moved through several official channels.
In September, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office declined to authorize charges in the arrest case. Earlier this month, the East Lansing City Attorney’s Office said it would not pursue charges after a review of the case, and East Lansing City Attorney Carlito Young said on Oct. 16 that the office made that decision after information came to light in recent weeks. Irwin said the incidents referenced in the billboard statement are now the subject of legal proceedings and said the city has released numerous videos for public review.
Irwin also said police administration recently worked with members of the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission to develop policy changes, and she said City Council further reinforced those changes at its Oct. 6, 2026, meeting. Her remarks frame the city’s response as one of process and policy, while the billboard is built around a simpler demand: remove Brown and change how the department operates.
James McCurtis Jr. gave the protest its bluntest voice. "The beating we saw on the body cam footage is appalling," he said. The group is also calling for independent investigations into serious police encounters, and it says the billboard will remain in place until it sees a different result from East Lansing police leadership.
