City of Detroit announces safe summer plan, including youth engagement

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Officials in the City of Detroit have announced a plan to deal with the so-called teen takeovers that have happened over the last few weeks as summer approaches.

Mayor Mary Sheffield, Chief Todd Bettison, and community partners announced the 6-point plan during a Thursday afternoon news conference.

"I've said many times that we cannot arrest our way to a safe city; it is going to take a broad range of strategies that address not only criminal behavior but the circumstances that create the opportunity for it to occur," Mayor Sheffield said. "This plan has been built around the areas where we see the greatest opportunity for prevention of significant safety issues as we head into the warm weather months."

The plan includes points to address family gun safety, neighborhood safety, after-hour club enforcement, summer strategies, conflict resolution, youth engagement, and additional strategies that will be rolled out over the next two months.

According to the city, the plan includes the following approaches:

1. Safe Storage and Gun Safety Education and Resource Campaign
   
   1. An urgent piece of the Mayor's community safety initiative is a holistic strategy to encourage personal gun safety and storage. The campaign will include a robust social media campaign and direct community engagement at sites across the city.
   2. The City has secured nearly 2,000 gun locks that it will distribute for free to households that have guns they wish to secure to keep their family safe. Half of the gun locks are being provided by the Detroit Public Safety Foundation thanks to a grant from Henry Ford Project Child Safety.
   3. The administration also will be doing extensive community engagement with families and youth of all ages through the Hope Starts Here, Detroit Parent Network, DPSCD and Charter schools, Grow Detroit's Young Talent, SER Metro and others.
   4. Sheffield also shared a video on child gun safety that will be shared across the city's social media platforms.
2. New Neighborhood Safety Action Teams to identify and address block-level crime issues
   
   1. This strategy focuses resources where crime has clustered — including troubled locations that have become magnets for blight and unwanted activity.
   2. City leaders from multiple departments will conduct weekly walks in targeted areas to assess conditions on the ground, then direct increased patrols, improve lighting, and address repairs and other environmental issues where they are needed most. This is not top-down policing. This is community driven.
   3. Residents can recommend high-risk locations directly - because neighbors are partners and co-owners of public safety on their blocks. Everyone has a role to play. And when neighbors are engaged and city resources are responsive, crime does not get a foothold.
3. After-Hours Venue Engagement Strategy to address problem locations
   
   1. DPD and BSEED will identify after-hours locations that have the highest rate of police runs, code violations, and community complaints, and city officials will work with the establishments to develop plans to improve security and lighting at the locations.
   2. DPD and BSEED will also increase enforcement at establishments with the most resident complaints and police runs. If issues continue to go unaddressed, the city will, if necessary, close an establishment.
4. DPD Safe Summer Strategy focusing on block party safety/crowd control, parks and recreation centers, curfew compliance and drag racing/drifting
   
   1. The Detroit Police Department will activate several successful strategies that have worked in recent years, including drag racing & drifting enforcement, block party compliance, and crowd control at large community gatherings, and curfew enforcement.
   2. DPD will also pay special attention to the city's most active parks and recreation centers to have a more visible presence to deter any potential issues. As part of its curfew enforcement, DPD will detain juveniles out after curfew and issue Parental Responsibility tickets of $250 for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.
5. Conflict Resolution and Restorative Practices Task Force
   
   1. The Mayor's Office has established a new task force to develop and implement new strategies that will be rolled out later this summer. Members of the task force include city department heads, CVI groups, and behavioral health professionals to address conflict in our neighborhoods before they escalate.
      
6. Youth Engagement Strategy
   
   1. Mayor Sheffield met with a group of high school students who had organized a large gathering of teens downtown the weekend before. Out of that conversation, an agreement was reached between the city and the youth to create expanded opportunities for teens to enjoy their city at large-scale activations designed just for them.
   2. The Mayor is working on a plan for a youth-centered event at Hart Plaza that will include two DJs, basketball courts, gaming trucks, and more. The event will run from 5-9 PM and will be free and open to all youth.
   3. The Mayor previously announced plans for "Occupy the Summer," which will include activities and activations such as expanded Recreation Center hours until 11 PM during the summer, the return of "Midnight Basketball" for young adults, and other activities. Full details of Occupy the Summer will be announced in May.