Meet Angelica Robinson, Detroit Police Department’s New LGBTQ+ Liaison
The bisexual Detroit native is working to build trust, support LGBTQ+ officers and strengthen ties between DPD and the community
Angelica Robinson, a Detroit police corporal, knows what it means to build relationships. After more than three decades in law enforcement, the bisexual Detroit native stepped into a new role this past spring as the Detroit Police Department’s LGBTQ+ Liaison. Born and raised in the city, Robinson is taking a hands-on approach to connecting the city’s police force with community members.
Why did you want this role?
This position gives me the opportunity to bring the experience, relationships and purpose all together in one. I didn't take this just on a whim. The work I do means something more; it's way bigger than just the liaison position itself. I want to be able to leave something sustainable behind once I retire.
How are you approaching the job day to day?
I felt it was very important that the community not just see me as law enforcement, but see me as part of the community, and be very transparent in engaging with them. I don't want them to feel like, oh, this is just another police officer. How is that done? It's not done behind a desk, sitting in headquarters. It's actually out and about, shaking hands, giving hugs, hearing their concerns and showing my genuine compassion for all. I am not that law enforcer who's just a paper pusher sitting in an office. If you see me out and about, please come say hello.
You've talked about bridging gaps both outside and inside the department with the LGBTQ+ community. What does that look like?
I need to properly train our officers when they engage with our community, and not just externally. We also have sworn members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves. What about my officers who are fearing coming out? I need to be there for them as well and be that voice, be that advocate. So I'm not only bridging the gap externally, I'm bridging the gap internally, too. We're working on QR codes we can put up in our precincts where officers can scan, see the different resources and report to me anonymously.
What's coming up this fall?
I'll be starting our Citizen's Police Academy Oct. 6. It's free and runs 10 weeks, one day a week. I'm going to take people out of their shoes as a citizen and put them in the shoes of an officer, from patrol runs to investigations to the courts, and they'll do a ride-along, too. Then in November, I'm hosting a health and wellness open enrollment resource fair with CNS Healthcare and LGBT Detroit. My target audience is our aging LGBTQ+ members, because everything is pretty much geared around our younger people. What about our aging LGBTQ+ members?
What drives you in this work?
It's a passion and it's a need. I want to put DPD first and foremost in a different light, and I want the community to be able to embrace the law enforcers as well as law enforcement embrace our community. We come together collectively for one another. I want to build that trust, and I am building that trust.
Is there an album that gets you through your workday?
Aria Blu's "God Almighty Don't Play About Me." If I had to pick one song, it's "God Stamped Me." I'm not religious, but I am spiritual, and that song reminds me to stay aligned with my purpose. Especially on days when there's a lot going on around me, it brings me back to who I am, why I'm here and what I'm called to do.
What movie best describes who you are?
"Hidden Figures." I've spent a lot of my life and career navigating spaces where women with a voice haven't always had an easy road, but I've learned you don't have to fight for every room to recognize your value. Sometimes you just keep showing up, doing the work, creating your own lane and making sure the door stays open for somebody coming behind you.
What do you love most about Michigan's LGBTQ+ community?
The people and the stories. I love being able to connect with someone beyond a title, uniform, organization or position. Some of my most meaningful moments have been sitting under a shelter with someone where they may actually reside, simply listening — no agenda, no judgment. Just allowing people to tell me their story and tell me what they need. Those moments remind me that bridging the gap starts with being present. Sometimes people don't need you to come in and fix everything; they need to know you see them, you hear them and that they matter.
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