The City of Detroit announced a new strategy to address illegal block parties across the city after a violent weekend.
According to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Police Chief James White,there were shootings at six illegal block parties after the Fourth of July that left three people dead and 24 others injured.
The largest shooting happened on Sunday morning on the city's east side that left two people dead and 19 injured. Police said there were more than 100 shell casings found and nine guns recovered.
"I want to be clear. We’re not going to have neighbors becoming hostages in their own homes this summer," Duggan said during a press conference on Monday morning.
Hear from community leaders below
According to White, the department will deploy a new neighborhood response team consisting of 80 officers who will be called in to help stop or shut down illegal block parties.
There will be at least one police car in each precinct starting Thursdays through the weekend that will be driving around looking for illegal activities and trying to detect illegal block parties early.
Also, White said that the department will now treat illegal block parties as priority one calls.
Hear more from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in the video below
Hear from Detroit Police Chief James White below
The city said that these illegal block parties are different from permitted neighborhood parties where residents work with the city and Detroit neighborhood police officers to shut down the streets. They are also different from events that are confined to the house and the backyard, which do not need permits.
The parties become illegal, according to DPD, if cars are illegally parked, attendees begin loitering in public areas or interfere with traffic, music and noise are excessive, kids violate curfew and more.
White said they are also relying on the public's help to shut down the block parties, and to call 911 if they notice one starts to get out of control or spilling out into the streets.
They also plan to work with community organizations throughout the city to help curb the block parties and violence.
Finally, the city is working with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to prosecute property owners and hosts of illegal block parties.
