Today, Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Police Chief James E. Craig, along with several gas station owners and community members, unveiled Project Green Light Detroit, a pilot program aimed at providing greater safety and security at neighborhood businesses throughout the city.
For the pilot phase of Project Green Light Detroit, which runs through February, the city has partnered with eight gas station owners who have committed to do the following at their own expense:
- Install a number of high-definition (1080p) video cameras inside and outside their establishment, sufficient to cover all areas of the property.
- Provide DPD with real-time access to their cameras at all times
- Install enhanced exterior lighting systems that brightly illuminate the property on all sides.
- Install at least one highly visible green light on their establishment, along with a sign indicating it is a Project Green Light Detroit partner.
“We are going to form every partnership and use every tool we can to drive down crime in our neighborhoods,” Mayor Duggan said. “Thanks to the commitment of these Detroit gas station owners, Project Green Light Detroit will give our officers immediate access to video and information that might otherwise take hours to gather.”
To monitor the video feeds from the partnering businesses, the Detroit Police Department has established a Real Time Crime Center that is staffed around the clock by Crime Intelligence Unit personnel that has access to live video feeds from each gas station. The sworn and non-sworn DPD personnel are utilizing increased technology to identify suspects and solve and reduce crime.
If a crime does occur at a partnering neighborhood business, the high resolutions cameras will allow Real Time Crime Center staff to get clear images of suspects’ faces and clothing, as well as vehicles and even license plate numbers, all of which can be quickly relayed to units in the area.
Chief James Craig said his staff has worked closely with the businesses and community on the development of Project Green Light Detroit.
“This is one more piece in the City’s efforts to reduce crime, and another example of how DPD is using technology and smart policing to improve safety in our neighborhoods,” Chief Craig said. “This initiative will improve safety, promote growth and revitalization of local businesses, and strengthen the Detroit Police Department’s ability to fight crime.”
Project Green Light Detroit will run in a pilot phase for the months of January and February. During this period, DPD, the gas station owners, community groups and the City of Detroit will determine best practices while fine-tuning the program. The goal is to expand Project Green Light Detroit to include additional gas stations and other businesses such as restaurants and convenience stores this March.
The pilot locations along with their addresses and names of their owners are as follows:
- Sunoco, 11603 E 7 Mile, Adnan Nasser
- Mobil, 2010 E Jefferson, Bill Saad
- Mobil, 20000 Joy Road, Chaker Aoun
- Citgo, 15439 Schoolcraft, Fadel Bazzi
- Mobil, 15510 Fenkell Ave, Hassan Osman
- BP, 10601 E Outer Drive, Moussa Bazzi
- Mobil, 14820 E Jefferson, Moussa Bazzi
- Marathon, 8930 W McNichols, Nasser Beydoun
“As small business owners in the city, safety is a top priority and a critical component of Detroit’s revitalization,” said Nasser Beydoun, who owns the Green Light Detroit partner station at Wyoming and McNichols. “Project Greenlight Detroit is a cutting edge approach to public safety that will ensure the safety of our patrons and strengthen the partnership between business owners, police and the community. It ensures that we are working together for a better Detroit.”
“Community safety is key to the revitalization of the neighborhoods we work in,” said Alice Thompson, President of Detroit nonprofit Black Family Development. “Project Green Light is an innovative crime fighting strategy that residents need and want to feel safer in their community.”
Detroit businesses interested in becoming a Project Green Light Detroit partner can visit https://www.greenlightdetroit.org/.
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