Disabled father’s request for real answers

Dear Editor,

I am writing this as a father, a resident and a disabled member of this community who wants real answers from the City of Imlay City.

At the center of this matter, for me, was a child-safety concern. I believed my daughter was being left with someone who should not have been watching her. I believed that person needed to leave. I believed the situation was unsafe. From my point of view, I was trying to protect my child.

What followed changed the way I look at the system that is supposed to protect families and tell the truth.

Over time, I began gathering records, emails, reports and official paperwork connected to what happened. What I found disturbed me. I found contradictions. I found things that did not line up from one agency document to another.

I found signs that important issues may not have been fully investigated. I found complaint-related city emails that, in my view, raise real questions about whether all responsive records were properly produced when requested.

That is why I filed a FOIA appeal. I did not do it to cause trouble. I did it because when official records do not line up, and when a citizen is left with more questions than answers, the only honest next step is to ask for the truth in writing.

This is bigger than me. Public records matter because they are often the only way ordinary people can test whether government actions match government explanations. If a city’s paperwork is complete and accurate, that should be easy to show. If it is not, the public has a right to know that too.

I understand that not every disagreement with police or city government means wrongdoing. I understand that records can be messy. But when the same file raises repeated questions about completeness, contradictions and how a complaint was handled, the public should not be asked to look away.

I am a disabled father of two. One day my children will be old enough to ask what happened and what I did about it. I want to be able to tell them that I stayed calm, kept records, followed the proper channels and asked for real answers instead of giving up.

That is what this is about for me. I am asking the City to respond honestly to the FOIA appeal now before it. I am also asking my community to understand that public accountability is not anti-police and it is not anti-city. Wanting the truth, wanting complete records and wanting fair treatment should not be controversial.

If the records are complete, the city should say so clearly and support that answer. If more records exist, they should be produced. If mistakes were made, they should be acknowledged.

Real trust does not come from silence. It comes from transparency.

Imlay City is a small town. That is exactly why this matters. In a small town, people remember who stood up, who stayed quiet and who was willing to demand honesty when it counted.

I am asking for honesty now.

Sincerely,
—Jeremy Boleau