Curbing violent crime in the city of Detroit is all about changing decisions. That was the sentiment shared by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Police Department Chief James White, who joined moderator Stephen Henderson for a conversation on the main stage Wednesday, June 1, at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Henderson is executive editor of Bridge Detroit and host of Detroit Today and American Black Journal on Detroit Public Television.
White was named to the Chief position in 2021. In a wide-ranging interview that touched on the department’s data- and technology-driven approaches to policing, White and Duggan circled back repeatedly to decision-making.
Digital Anchor Andre Ash Talks w/ Police Chief James White
“There is no question what is causing the violent crime that is soaring across the country,” Duggan said. “What’s happening is that a lot of folks are carrying guns, and so every interpersonal conflict is violent.
“The moment that an individual sticks a gun under their waistband and walks out of the house in the morning, we have lost because something is going to happen. So, everything we are doing is saying to people: Leave the gun at home.”
White agreed and said gun violence is his biggest worry. “I worry about people being the victims of senseless gun violence. We are ending a life by pulling a trigger.”
To help prevent people from bringing guns into public spaces, for instance, the city is using a few innovative tactics. Duggan said he recently installed outdoor gun surveillance machines similar to metal detectors that can detect the shape of a gun on a person – these could be helpful in Greektown or at block parties or large-scale outdoor events like fireworks. Also, a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program has placed officers specially trained in mental health in several city precincts.
There is some evidence that the approach the city is taking to change decision-making is working: homicides and shootings in Detroit are down 20 percent from one year ago. “Summer is coming, and nobody declares victory before summer is coming,” White cautioned, however.
By Crain’s Content Studio
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