DETROIT (WXYZ) — “I’ve participated in a lot of these briefings on crime, never prouder than today,” said James White, Detroit Police Chief.
Detroit Police Chief James White credits the DPD’s partnership with federal, county, state, and local community groups with a rapid drop in violent crime.
Mayor Mike Duggan says he is focused on the future.
“What we have to do is prove in 2024, we can lower it again. And we’re just getting started on things like the community violence initiative,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
Six Community Violence Intervention groups or CVIs were awarded contracts last summer to help reduce violence in certain neighborhoods.
FORCE Detroitwas recognized for its early results in the Cody Rouge neighborhood.
I asked its founder Alia Harvey-Quinn what it is they do.
“We’ve advocated for and implemented programs that emphasize community safety,” said Alia Harvey Quin.
I ran numbers by her, like an 18% drop in homicides and a 34% drop in carjackings year over year.
WXYZ’s Mike Duffy asked, “When you hear those statistics, what comes to your mind?”
“I just think we deserve this as a city,” said Harvey Quin.
“I think that it is important that we sew into our community and this. I’m just excited. And I’m excited to have been a part of it,” added Harvey Quin.
She credits her colleague's ability to connect and empathize with community members.
“Most of the people connected to this organization have been deeply impacted by, if not have grown up in the Cody Rouge neighborhood.”
“Folks were sandwiched between high rates of criminalization and high rates of gun violence and very very very little opportunity to get out of that cycle.”
Doretha Craig knows the pain of gun violence all too well. She lost her 24-year-old son to gun violence in 2023.
“My son was shot and killed last year on July 24th,” said Doretha Craig.
She attended DPD’s press conference about the downturn in violent crime and tells me she’s seen the work groups like FORCE Detroit are doing.
“And are you optimistic about Detroit?” asked Duffy.
“Yes, I am. You know if you would have asked me this question six months ago, I probably wouldn’t have been able to give you this straight answer. But me seeing it firsthand, yes, I’m optimistic. And once again, I’m looking forward to the things we can do together,” said Craig. “It’s not going to happen overnight. But I honestly see and feel in my heart that we’re going in the right direction.”
