DETROIT (WWJ) — Detroit police and city officials are rolling out a new strategy to crack down on gun violence at so-called “pop-up” block parties.
Police Chief James White on Monday announced a new Neighborhood Response Team specifically for block party compliance and enforcement, coming in the wake of a rash of shootings at illegal block parties across the city over the holiday weekend.
In total, there were shootings at six separate block parties, leaving three people dead and 24 others injured. Most of those came from one party, where two were killed and 19 injured.
Under the new strategy announced at a press conference Monday, police will now treat 911 calls about illegal block party activity as “Priority 1” runs and hosts and property owners of illegal block parties will be subject to prosecution under Detroit City Code violations for Disturbing the Peace and Disorderly Conduct.
Officials at Monday’s press conference said 15 women and six men were among those shot around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 7 at a party on Rossini, near Schoenherr between 7 Mile and 8 Mile roads. A 21-year-old Detroit man and a 20-year-old Detroit woman were killed.
Many people at the holiday weekend parties across Detroit came from outside the city, Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday, noting some people came from as far away as northern Ohio.
Almost 40% of last weekend’s shooting victims lived outside the city of Detroit, according to Duggan.
“This is not ‘your neighbor’s / family’s party got large.’ These are intentional, pre-planned events looking to attract people from miles away, people who are coming here carrying illegal weapons, planning to party into the wee hours of the evening, believing that the neighbors and the Detroit Police Department will not stop the lawless gatherings,” Duggan said.
White said in response to violence at illegal block parties, the department will assign officers, starting on Thursdays, to drive through neighborhoods and look for this type of illegal activity.
“This is not a heavy enforcement, targeted approach. This is an approach to keep our community safe and to look for these types of events,” White said. “In addition to that, we’re gonna make sure everyone is aware of how to host a large-scale event.”
The city on Monday said “neighborhood parties are legal and do not need a permit if they are confined to the house and the backyard and the music and noise are not unreasonably disturbing the neighbors.”
Neighborhood parties become illegal if:
• Cars are parked on the sidewalks, lawns, or on illegally on street
• Attendees begin loitering in public areas or otherwise or otherwise interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic
• Music and noise are excessive, which can be at any time, but is enforced more strictly after 10:00 PM
• Youths unaccompanied by parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult violating curfew:
• 15 and under after 10 PM
• 17 and under after 11 PM
City officials want to “make certain the public knows there is a permit process for legal neighborhood block parties.” If your neighborhood would like to host a block party and shut down your street, you can do so by getting a permit from the City of Detroit. To apply for the permit, an applicant must get the signatures of 75% of the neighbors who live on that block. Permitted block parties must shut down by 10 PM. Applications can be found here on the city’s website: https://detroitmi.gov/document/block-party-application-and-guidelines.
Many community activists spoke during this morning's news conference, including Teferi Brent with Urban Peace and Justice, who said it needs to be a collective effort to address the continuation of gun violence.
"We need all hands on deck. The police cannot do it on their own; The prosecutors and judges cannot do it on their own; CVI teams cannot do it on their own," Brent said. "We need every individual, every leader, every servant, every institution in this city to be involved in addressing this issue of violence in our city."
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