What Comes Next for Fair Ferndale?
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 12, 2026)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale has a reputation as a progressive, welcoming city. But getting there took years of organized efforts, including those of a group called Citizens for Fair Ferndale. The group began in 2006 with the intent of helping to get a Human Rights Ordinance passed. It had been the third attempt at codifying rights for traditionally marginalized populations, and with so many community members working on education and outreach, it finally passed.
In the years since the group has grown to take on a number of projects, with equity and inclusion in mind.
Their mission is “is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental ability.”
Recently the group shortened their name to Fair Ferndale, and on Sunday they held an open house to welcome potential new members, share info about their successes, and come up with ideas for the future.
Currently there are nine members on the board, including Mary Schusterbauer who talked about signature events, including the Good Neighbor Awards and candidate forums. She shared that Fair Ferndale has also held screenings for films including Paperclips and Misrepresentation, as well as presentations on topics like Ranked Choice Voting, and Early Voting.
In November, Fair Ferndale partnered with Ferndale Schools to host a panel discussion called A Night with Neurodivergent Folk that shared not only educational information about neurodivergence, but firsthand stories and experiences. The panel was suggested by one of Fair Ferndale’s newer board members, Kevin Roach who also spoke at the event.
A big project for Fair Ferndale in recent years has been working with the Community Foundation for SE Michigan and the Hudson Webber Foundation on an Innovations in Policing grant to explore ways to build cultural competency in the Ferndale Police Department.
Board Member Kat Bruner James, who is a Civil Rights attorney, said the group held a series of discussions with residents, business owners, school district members, and visitors. “We didn’t want to just focus on residents, because our community is really made up of all those people who come to Ferndale and interact here,” James said. “We wanted to hear from identified populations about their engagements with Ferndale Police to hear their stories.” This included people of color, people with low incomes, people with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQ+ population.
So far there have been 61 participants, 40 of whom were residents. They plan to have another focus group with LGBTQ+ residents to increase the representation from that population.
What they’ve learned so far is a mix of positive and negative perceptions of the police. James said people valued the quick response to calls, the police presence at public events, response to emergencies, and efforts Ferndale Police have made over time to improve their policies and perceptions.
Some concerns included negative interactions with people of color, a need for increased mental health response training, hiring more diverse officers and staff, and overall trust-building.
“Some of these things exist already, but people don’t know about them,” James said. “So how can we do a better job with connecting with the community?”
Fair Ferndale is planning a community event in May where people can come and interact with the Police Chief. They are also doing a training with the police in Feb 2027, in conjunction with other training the department has scheduled.
Eustace Boch is a newer member of the Fair Ferndale board. “I joined last year after I came to the mixer,” Boch said. “I wanted to get involved. It seemed like a great way to get to know neighbors and to feel plugged in.”
Boch has taken on some of the more technical tasks for Fair Ferndale, including the website social media, and logo. He’s also excited about the way people from different backgrounds can bring their ideas to the table and make them happen.
“Some groups talk and talk and talk,” Boch said. “But here we make things come to fruition.”
So, in addition to traditions like Good Neighbor Awards and candidate forums, what comes next for Fair Ferndale? That’s up to those who come out and get involved.
Those interested in joining Fair Ferndale, or learning more, can visit https://www.fairferndale.org/
