Drones are “on the road map for DPD” as the department works to build upon its strategies to curb drag racing and drifting, according to a deputy chief.
Detroit Police Department Assistant Chief Franklin Hayes said DPD has begun having conversations with community members about the use of drones for crime-fighting, emergency response and to better monitor and crack down on chronic issues like drag racing.
Hayes said DPD looks forward to bringing the discussion to the council and noted that other metro area departments are already using drones, including Dearborn, which used the technology to break up a car theft ring.
But, the department is sensitive to privacy concerns. Hayes cited “rigorous policies,” including what DPD has used for facial recognition, a policy crafted in partnership with the ACLU.
“That is the same rigor that we will have when we present to this body a drone program that will be utilized that we can send to triage instances whether it be drag racing, an accident, a fire … to be the eyes and ears as we send personnel to the scene,” he said.
The assistant chief joined Tuesday’s meeting remotely to address resident and council member concerns about an uptick in drag racing and drifting as the temperatures warm.
He told council members that DPD began efforts in late March to step up enforcement of illegal drifting and drag racing in several city hot spots.
Hayes said that DPD’s detail is broken up by teams deployed on the east and west sides and is heavily enforced on the weekends. During the week, the concerns are managed by respective police precincts, he said.
Once locations are identified, DPD tickets both drivers and spectators, he said.
“Our hope is that we take that vehicle and they never get it back and we add it to the police fleet or court auction,” Hayes told council members. “Those who operate vehicles in this way, they don’t need to drive.”
Council President James Tate said conversations about drag racing among Detroiters in the community have factored in the potential use of drones to help reduce the cost of enlisting helicopters and improving overall efficiency.
“It’s a controversial issue,” he said of the use of drones, which was met with resistance from some residents.
“Drones are one of those tools that the police department has talked about but has not moved forward with yet,” Tate said. “It’s now time to have that conversation publicly about how we utilize technology safety, transparently and legally.”
Hayes said DPD is also working with the city’s Department of Public Works on potential streetscape changes, including rumble strips or bollards for bike lanes, to deter drag racing at some problem intersections in the city.
“Although (drag racers and drifters) disperse from these areas, we are still tracking and there is follow-up to what you can’t see,” he said. “My plea to residents is: if you know where they are, if you hear them, call 911 so we can send our folks there.”
Detroiter Stevetta Johnson spoke during public comment about how drag racing in her Detroit neighborhood is a constant.
The District 2 resident who lives near Chippewa Avenue and Kentucky Street told Detroit City Council members that she and her neighbors need help.
“This neighborhood, we’re tired of this. We need something done about these kids speeding. It’s not just kids, it’s grown folks between 21 and 30 doing this,” she said.
Fellow District 2 resident Nicole Small, a past candidate for Detroit City Council who formerly served on the Detroit Charter Revision Commission, shared similar comments and told the council that the young people involved are “terrorizing neighborhoods.”
“I don’t feel safe,” said Small, urging action ahead of tragedy. “It’s not even summer yet. We don’t have enough officers in our neighborhoods to handle these situations.”
The residents joined with District 2 Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway in calling on the Detroit Police Department to share enforcement plans for dangerous drivers ahead of summer.
Whitfield-Calloway noted some areas, like W. Outer Drive, Greenfield and W. Seven Mile are roadways under the jurisdiction of Wayne County and she wants to ensure there’s collaborative enforcement.
“It’s inexcusable that along those roads there’s a lot of drag racing, a lot of speeding,” she said. “Regardless of whether those roads are under the governance of the city or county, we have to join together to make sure these issues are addressed permanently.”
The department, Hayes said, relies on Wayne County and the Michigan State Police to help with enforcement.
“Whether it’s air or ground support, I can assure you, you will not have to worry about Outer Drive this weekend,” he told her.
District 5 Council Member Renata Miller said several weeks ago, when the city saw its first hot day of the season, she got over a dozen emails and calls about drag racing along Jefferson Avenue in the late-night hours.
She grew up on the east side by a cemetery near Detroit’s municipal airport, where drag racing was a “hazard” my entire life.
“It is always in the late-night hours. It is a nuisance,” she said. “It bothers people sleeping. They are not able to put their children to bed or even prepare for school the next day.”
