Detroit City Council members are advocating for more inclusive spaces for youth in the city’s core in the wake of a new program offering broad access to free bus rides.
The need for more welcoming spaces was raised Monday by City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero after a series of public commenters shared concerns for and about youth during the council’s Public Health and Safety subcommittee meeting.
The city this month launched the “Ride and Rise” program, offering Detroit students ages 5 to 18 at public, private or charter schools free Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus rides seven days a week, at any time. All they have to do is show their school ID. The initiative is expected to help students get to school more consistently and to access afterschool activities.
In recent days, Detroit saw an influx of visitors for the Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day as well as a surge of young people downtown, which resulted in some being detained by officers.
Santiago-Romero said she was concerned that youth were “overpoliced downtown” over the weekend and she’s eager to talk with Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration about how officials and law enforcement can better support and engage with youth.
“Because, let’s be honest, downtown does become a place for adults to come and drink but we need to have a welcoming place and inviting space for youth as well,” she said.
She also said discussions on wraparound services for young people as well as “deescalation training,” are necessary, “not just for young people but for all of us.”
“This is going to be another cultural shift that we need to do in embracing our young people downtown,” she said. “After budget (deliberations) we will invite the administration’s dedicated person for youth to share with us some plans they have for the summer. We know for the summer people are outside and we want to make sure that people are safe.”
Santiago-Romero suggested that the city consider using Hart Plaza as an organized gathering space for young people.
“That usually is not a space that is as active as I believe it could be,” she said.
Campus Martius, Santiago-Romero said, is essentially roped off and not welcoming for individuals under 21.
“We need a space where you’re not roped off for being young,” she said. “We have a lot of space and we have a lot of downtown. I think we can do this.”
Detroit transit ambassador Michael Cunningham praised Sheffield for the “awesome” free bus offering for students, but he doesn’t expect the rollout to be without challenges.
Cunningham said it will be important to have a surplus of volunteers on hand, restrictions on days and times for the bus travel and signage for folks who need to report any problems that might arise, especially in the summertime and later at night.
“I’m not saying our youth are bad, but … some of them have no respect for elders at all like we did,” he said.
DDOT Executive Director of Transit Robert Cramer told BridgeDetroit on Monday, following a press conference about the Ride to Rise program, that the Detroit Police Department has a transit unit with officers who can be deployed.
“If we hear, ‘Hey, there’s a certain bus at a certain time where it seems like there’s more trouble or kids are feeling less safe,’ then we could have more random boardings come onto those buses,” he said.
The longer-term idea, however, is to develop an “ambassador program” – adults who would ride buses to help students feel more secure – and potentially collaborate with Community Violence Intervention (CVI), social service groups, crossing guards, or DDOT staff.
Students were able to access the free DDOT rides on April 1, during spring break. The more formal launch was Monday, April 6, when the school session resumed, according to the city.
Councilman Denzel McCampbell on Monday echoed Santiago-Romero’s concern for embracing youth who visit downtown, noting that unlike the malls, arcades and skate parks of the past, there aren’t enough places for young folks to gather and have fun today.
“We need to increase more opportunities for young people and the other aspect is how we react to young people as they gather,” said McCampbell, pointing to the importance of Community Violence Intervention groups, peer educators and others. “We need more of these folks to say, ‘Hey, do you need anything?’”
McCampbell said he too is looking forward to conversations with the administration on what can be done to give young people more to do and to ensure “we’re not penalizing them for also wanting to be a part of what we all have been taking part in downtown.”
An inquiry to the Detroit Police Department about detainments and tickets for youth over the weekend was not immediately returned.
Council Member Mary Waters, who also serves on the Public Health and Safety committee, said the downtown was “electric” over the weekend, and that she hopes that tickets weren’t given out to young people.
“The young people were everywhere. The city felt alive. I am not anti having young people out,” she said. “I hope this is something we can figure out … so they can feel they are a part of this downtown and this Detroit. We’ve got to make it happen for them. Otherwise, they go to other cities and we lose them.”
– Reporter Nushrat Rahman contributed
