About 180 minors were detained during the 2026 Ford Fireworks, according to preliminary estimates from Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.
An 18-year-old shot by police before the event downtown is expected to survive, Bettison told reporters following a presentation to council members on Tuesday. The shooting happened during the arrest of a 19-year-old. Both individuals were armed, police said.
Bettison said an earlier curfew for unaccompanied minors worked and the event was “one of the more peaceful fireworks.” The curfew was from 8 p.m. on Monday, June 22 to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23.
“We had a large juvenile presence that showed up,” Bettison told council members.
Of the minors detained, 171 were Detroiters and nine were from outside the city, according to DPD. The earlier curfew was set amid the broader national “teen takeover” trend, though it wasn’t new this year.
Officers made 19 additional arrests for other offenses. Twelve of those arrests were made for carrying a concealed weapon — with two being juveniles — and the remaining seven arrests involved miscellaneous offenses, including resisting and obstructing, aggravated assault, larceny, and disorderly conduct, according to DPD.
During his public safety presentation to council members, Bettison also highlighted a 17.5% reduction in homicides this year from Jan. 1 to May 31 compared to the same time period in 2025; quicker 9-1-1 average response times, down from 12 minutes in 2024 to 10 minutes and 52 seconds this year; community violence intervention programming, and efforts to make city parks safer.
