In the wake of a series of violent incidents that occurred during Fourth of July weekend block parties, the city of Detroit is taking decisive action to address the issue. Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Police Chief James White held a press conference to discuss the recent surge in violence and announce their plan to tackle the problem.

During the press conference, Mayor Duggan expressed his concern about the level of violence experienced during the holiday weekend, stating that such incidents are becoming increasingly rare in Detroit. According to Duggan, nearly 40% of the victims in the shootings did not reside in the city, as the block parties attracted individuals from up to 50 miles away, including those from Ohio.

City council president Mary Sheffield also expressed her condolences and highlighted the urgent need to address the ongoing gun violence epidemic in Detroit and across the nation. Sheffield called for an all-hands-on-deck approach to putting an end to the senseless killings and destruction of families in the community.

In response to the recent violence, the Detroit Police Department (DPD) announced a new strategy aimed at stopping illegal block parties. Chief James White unveiled plans to deploy a dedicated neighborhood response team consisting of 80 officers. These officers will be mobilized to intervene and shut down illegal block parties as soon as they are detected.

Under the new strategy, each police precinct will have at least one patrol car driving around their respective areas from Thursdays through the weekend. Their primary objective will be to identify and address any illegal activities, including early detection of illegal block parties. The DPD will now treat illegal block parties as priority one calls, reinforcing the seriousness with which they view this issue.

It is important to note that the city differentiates between permitted neighborhood parties, where residents work in collaboration with the city and Detroit neighborhood police officers to organize safe events, and illegal block parties. The latter becomes illegal when attendees engage in activities such as illegal parking, loitering in public areas, traffic interference, excessive noise, violation of curfew for minors, and more.

Chief White emphasized the importance of public cooperation in combating illegal block parties. He urged residents to report any parties that grow out of control or spill out into the streets by calling 911. The DPD will rely on the assistance of community organizations throughout the city to help address the issue and prevent future occurrences.

In conjunction with these efforts, the city of Detroit is partnering with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to hold property owners and hosts accountable for organizing illegal block parties. Collaborative prosecution aims to deter individuals from hosting such events in the future.

As the city of Detroit takes a proactive stance against illegal block parties, the new strategy coupled with community involvement and legal consequences for offenders is expected to curb violence and restore safety to neighborhoods.