SW Detroit residents upset by police response hold community hearing

A coalition of community organizations on Thursday night came together in Southwest Detroit for a hearing to discuss in detail about the police response to recent social events broken up by the police.  

SW Fest, Garage Cultural, Detroit Will Breathe and the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability were some of several groups that organized the meeting at Clark Park. They spoke about police response to the Cinco de Mayo parade two months ago as well as auditions last month of a music and art gathering known as SW Fest. 

Tristan Taylor, who works with Detroit WIll Breathe, opened the event by saying the police’s response was to restrict people’s ability to congregate in their communities due to a shooting that happened nearby. Earlier that day, two women were killed in a house believed to be vacant on 33rd Street near Michigan Avenue. 

Taylor later said that the point of organizing the event was to push the city and police back because he and other Detroit residents don’t feel comfortable when they’re engaging with the community. 

“It doesn’t matter what the laws say. We have to recognize the truth, including the fact that these laws are based on blood, sweat and tears of exploited and oppressed people, not just here, but all across the world,” he said. “There is no fixing that. We need a radical transformation that uproots that. That’s why we have social power.” 

Celebration cut short

The Detroit Police Department faced backlash when officers detained and ticketed eight people during the Cinco de Mayo parade as police broke up an “over capacity” crowd that blocked streets. Thousands of people attended the parade and festival down Vernor Highway, pushing restaurants and businesses to double or triple their capacity, Detroit Police Chief James White said at the time. 

In addition, White said the people who were ticketed were mostly for public intoxication or disorderly conduct. Some food trucks and businesses were operating on-site without proper licensing.

In response to Thursday’s hearing, the department said in an emailed statement that it did not target or harass any groups at either of the Southwest Detroit gatherings.

“The Detroit Police Department will continue to ensure the safety of the community and quality of life that Detroiters deserve through constitutional and equitable policing,” the statement said.

At-large City Council Member Mary Waters spoke out after the May incident, saying she wanted White to discuss with City Council the successful crowd control associated with the NFL Draft activities in April, which drew an estimated 275,000 attendees daily, and what she characterized as the seeming inability of DPD to handle much smaller crowds associated with the Southwest Detroit celebration.

White decried any calls of racism against the police over the way the policing was handled compared to the NFL Draft. 

Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero told Outlier shortly after a May meeting with the Southwest Detroit Business Association that there seems to be “two narratives and two truths.” She said some businesses and residents were in favor of DPD shutting down Vernor because intoxicated people were being rude to their staff. Meanwhile, other businesses did not appreciate officers shutting them down.

Santiago-Romero said DPD did what they could with the direction itwere given, but often, those directions are all over the place. The councilmember added it’s important to report incidents with the police and to hold officers accountable. However, they could’ve done a better job managing the crowd, she noted. 

“I am listening to all of the information being given,” Santiago-Romero said. “Depending on who you ask, DPD did their job. I think it’s my job to figure out how to make things better, which I do believe we need to do.”

She said community members need a plan, such as which businesses want to stay open or closed and which portions of Vernor will shut down. 

“For me, ultimately, there’s just a lot of work to do, a lot of planning, a lot of conversations. But these are all things that I’m looking forward to,” Santiago-Romero said. 

‘An unpredictable and unsafe environment’

About a month later, another police incident occurred in Southwest Detroit. On June 14, officers showed up at a space known as Garage Cultural located at 4670 Junction, Ave.  and broke up auditions for SW Fest.

A Facebook post promoting the auditions said “you don’t have to perform to come to the event, anyone and everyone is welcome as long as you’re respectful to everyone. We strive to curate a safe and comfortable environment.”

Amelia Duran, the executive director of Garage Cultural spoke about the incident at the community meeting Thursday. She said it wasn’t her first encounter with police, sharing the time when she was harassed by a police officer 30 years ago when she was 15 at Western International High School. 

Duran said the auditions were disrupted when more than 10 police officers showed up to the space over a parking complaint. Duran pleaded with them to leave and let the young people disperse, but police stayed for an hour allegedly provoking attendees, she said. Duran added that SW Fest is meant to be an event to uplift, show generational music diversity and highlight artists. 

“They were there making our environment unpredictable and unsafe, proving that no matter what we do, no matter how hard we work to survive and thrive in these inhumane circumstances, they will only see us the way they want to see us and they will still treat us like we’re the problem,” she said. “When will it ever be enough?” 

A spokesperson for Detroit Police said the event was shut down due to noise ordinance violations and that officers gave multiple warnings before closing the event.

Taylor told Outlier the action was just another example of the police criminalizing a gathering of young Black and brown people.

“What about an audition is dangerous? What about people with instruments makes you feel like you have to have 10 officers come out? What about a yearly festival, Cinco de Mayo, forces you to have to arrest vendors?” Taylor asked.

When issues do arise at gatherings, Taylor said he thinks the best solution is for the community itself to address concerns, not the police. Or, he said, police could respond the way they do when white communities get rowdy and drunk. “Because we know when the police respond (to white people) it is a different response.”

Duran’s son Gabriel Duran also spoke at the event. An artist and community organizer, he helped create SW Fest. He said the festival is a celebration of the culture of Southwest Detroit, but also a form of resistance. 

“We’re here and we won’t be pushed out,” he said. “Much like our city, Southwest is changing. It’s a difficult and confusing moment to live through because we appreciate our neighborhood looking cleaner, safer and thriving, but at what cost? Some of us are fortunate enough to experience and appreciate these changes. But when we step outside of our own paths, how many of our neighbors are suffering?” 

Outlier Media Civil Life Reporter Laura Herberg contributed to this report.