DETROIT – Saturday is June 22, and that means Detroit is under a Code 22. For 24 hours on the 22nd day of each month, there is a call for peace.
Local 4's Evrod Cassimy spoke with the woman behind the push.
Code 22 has been around for nine years, but it's getting revamped with a renewed effort for peace in Detroit.
Pastor Ovella Davis is the creator of the Code 22 program.
"Code 22 is an initiative that asks each and every citizen to acknowledge the 22nd day of every month as a day of peace," Davis said. "It's an initiative that we began in 2010 because of the increase of violence."
She's calling for peace Saturday in a revamped effort to spread the message behind Code 22 this month and every month in the future.
"Mayor Dave Bing gave us our first proclamation, declaring the 22nd the citywide day of peace and healing, the no-violence day with the goal of 24 hours of peace," Davis said.
"It also gave us a change in people because at first, in confrontation, people would go straight to fighting," Robichaud High School student Christopher Williams said. "Now, people are saying 'Code 22.' It's bringing more nonviolence into our community. It's a drastic change."
Code 22 has already proven to be successful on the academic level. Students representing Robichaud High School said they've seen the difference.
"At first, Robichaud had a bad reputation," Williams said. "But after the program came to our school, we saw a lot of violence go down in our school. It made the school better."
Recent news of violence across the city led Davis to try to reach a wider audience with the renewed awareness push. She said she wants to see communities heal.
"We need to stop the killings so that we can bring resources, so we can reach them, so hopefully the 22nd will be the day we say, 'OK, man. Today we chill,'" Davis said.
Code 22 is supported by a number of organizations, including churches, community groups, law enforcement agencies, schools and Crime Stoppers. It is also supported by members of the Detroit City Council.
Click here to visit the Code 22 website for more information or to purchase yard signs.