Detroit parks to see enhanced police presence over summer

DETROIT – With summer unofficially kicking off this Memorial Day Weekend, Detroit’s parks become the place to be.

In addition to family gatherings, kids playing and events, they can also be magnets for violence. Law enforcement is looking to change that this year.

Policing parks was a major focus of the Summer Surge announcement Thursday, May 23. The announcement came just weeks after a park on Detroit’s west side was showered in gunfire. Two very young children and two teenagers -- one who was pregnant -- were hit. They are expected to survive.

State and local officials are working to make sure that doesn’t happen again. U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison revealed plans to saturate parks with police to make sure they’re a safe place for families.

“Children in Detroit like in cities elsewhere should be able to go to their parks and feel safe and protected,” Isom said. “They will see that if someone is there committing those crimes that we mentioned that they will be subjected to federal prosecution immediately.”