Detroit community organizations react to new violence prevention plan
The city of Detroit is taking action after a dangerous rise in shootings involving minors.
Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief Todd Bettison on Monday unveiled their plan to combat the recent uptick in teen violence.
They say the city is about to see a level of curfew enforcement it has never seen before. Detroit's Community Violence Intervention organizations have been urging city leaders to take action for some time now.
One group, Denby Neighborhood Alliance, is encouraged by the five-step plan, but it says there's more that can be done.
For the first time in weeks, there's activity at Skinner Playfield in Detroit. Sandra Turner-Handy, the executive director of Denby Neighborhood Alliance, says that hasn't been the case since the deadly shooting two weeks ago that left a 4-year-old and an 18-year-old dead.
Turner-Handy hopes the city's action plan, which includes more curfew enforcement, will change things.
"After the shooting of Samir and Davian. It's like nobody's here. It's empty. The park is empty," she said. "The fact that we have something in the community that is no longer deemed safe. It hurts me."
Pastor Maurice "Pastor Mo"Hardwick, founder of the Live in Peace, No Beef Zone movement, preaches a message of unity.
"We bumped up the police force in training. We got that. Got the right police chief. Duggan has done a great job. We now just need the citizens and the parents to be in coalition with us to save your child," Hardwick said.
Duggan and Bettison both stressed holding parents and guardians responsible.
Hardwick prays for their success.
"Too many people are being shot, too many babies are being shot. We don't have time to be so nice about this. We have babies going into caskets," he said.
In the meantime, community groups like the Denby Neighborhood Alliance say there needs to be more prevention.
"We need summer activities for these kids who they need to be somewhere doing something active," Turner-Handy said.
They're hopeful that will bring kids and teens back to places like Skinner Playfield.
The mother of 4-year-old Samir Josiah Grubbs will hold his repast at Skinner Playfield to show the community that this is still a welcoming place for kids. That's planned for 1-5 p.m. on Saturday.