DETROIT – It was a violent weekend in Detroit, and much of the violence that took place was in Greektown.
There were five shootings and two people killed in Greektown over the weekend. Despite already having a heavy police presence, it was not enough to prevent the fatal shootings that took place. The Detroit Police Department spoke out on Monday, saying they are fed up with the violence.
“We have made a decision, departmentally, to move right into our summer deployment,” Chief James White said. “The curfew’s been on the books,” White said. “This is not a new curfew. This is the same curfew, and it’s not just downtown. It’s all over our city.”
White said during an announcement that police will be more in the crowds looking for people who are illegally carrying a weapon.
Original story: Early morning shooting in Downtown Detroit leaves 1 dead, 3 injured including man in custody
What a heavier police presence means in the Greektown area:
- Emphasis on crowd management.
- Making sure vehicles are legally parked.
- Focusing on making sure egresses to locations are clear.
- Opening intoxicants in that area will be enforced.
- Disorderly conduct more heavily enforced.
- Noise at businesses more heavily enforced, with music gradually turned down toward end of evening.
- Looking at curfew violators.
Below is a statement from the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership on the shootings that took place:
“We are deeply saddened by the violence in Downtown Detroit this past weekend. We lost one of our own this weekend and the senseless loss of life by gun violence in Detroit and across American cities is tragic. Our heart goes out to the families that have been affected.
The Greektown neighborhood continues to work very closely with the City of Detroit, the Detroit Police Department, partners, and the business community on safety and security issues in the downtown. We fully support our safety partners. We ask that swift action be undertaken to secure our communities and that special measures are put in place so that downtown may be enjoyed and welcoming to all.”
Greektown Neighborhood Partnership -- April 17, 2023
Read: Detroit police announce weekend citywide curfew for minors
Officials say 12 minors were detained, and two parental responsibility tickets were issued over the weekend.
“We saw hundreds of people enjoying themselves with their family, with their children, and they’re fed up with the violence to our citizens, our community,” said White. “Our business owners are fed up.”
You can watch the entire press conference from Detroit police regarding the shootings below:
Police: Man in custody after shooting, injuring 2 near Detroit Riverwalk