Buoyed by an influx of federal pandemic relief funding, the city is investing $10 million in small organizations — some of which labored for years to protect neighborhoods on shoestring budgets — on the new “ShotStoppers” crime reduction strategy.
Police & Public Safety
New Era Detroit launches public safety app funded with ‘ShotStoppers’ grant
New Era Community Connections is asking Detroiters in its service area to report public safety issues through a new phone application.
Eastside Community Network regroups after center rammed by pickup truck
Benjamin Noah Weinstein, a 42-year-old white Detroiter, is charged with six felonies in connection with the Aug. 19 incident that damaged the longtime community center with a predominately Black membership
False arrest of Detroit mother reignites criticism of facial recognition tech
Detroit Police Chief James White says bad police work led to the mistaken arrest, defends the city’s use of controversial crime software.
Detroit adds mental health responders, neighborhood police with state funding
An infusion of $3.1 million will make more than two dozen new positions possible
‘ShotSpotter’ says mistakes are rare, but Detroiters want more transparency
BridgeDetroit obtained an accuracy scorecard created by SoundThinking – formerly known as ShotSpotter – suggesting its gunshot alerts are rarely inaccurate. Detroit activists opposed to the technology say an independent review is needed to verify the findings.
Oversight board wants footage from police-involved shootings to be public
Residents are asked to weigh in on new policy changes that would require footage from officer-involved shootings to be released within five days.
Sex worker scandal adds to frustration with Detroit police oversight body
Bryan Ferguson, former chairman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, resigns after allegedly being caught with a sex worker. But the board’s problems run much deeper.
Traffic, theft, drug crimes top Michigan automatic expungements
State police automatic expungement records obtained by Bridge Michigan show traffic offenses, theft, drug use or possession and weapons charges dominated the list of initial convictions dropped from criminal records in April.
Detroiters honor the life of Wynter Cole-Smith
The family of slain Wynter Cole-Smith and residents, pastors, activists and city leaders held vigils for two nights in her honor on Detroit’s east side.