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Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit

Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit
Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit
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(WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield held a press conference on Friday afternoon after the so-called "teen takeovers" in Downtown Detroit.

Watch Tiarra Braddock and Randy Wimbley's video reports:

Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit
Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit

According to the mayor's office, members of her administration and other community partners met with the Teen Takeover organizers earlier this week.

Watch the full news conference:

Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks on teen takeovers in Downtown Detroit

Over the past couple of weeks, large groups of teenagers have been gathering in Downtown Detroit, which has led to fights and arrests, prompting an increased police presence and intervention from local community groups.

Social media posts circulated plans for teenagers to meet up downtown. In response, Detroit police ramped up their presence, and a community group called Ceasefire took to the streets to stop violence before it started.

Watch our past video report below:

Community group on the ground working to stop teen violence in downtown Detroit

Our cameras caught some young people running through the streets with police trailing close behind. Ceasefire was on the move, trying to de-escalate the situation before anything became violent.

"Our goal is to really work with them, talk to them, and through our relationships, keep them from going to jail, keep things from escalating. We've seen crazy things happen downtown with young people," Ceasefire crewmember Toson Knight said.

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