Mayor Duggan, US Attorney announce new Enhanced Enforcement Strategy to combat gun violence in Detroit

• Strategy will target designated high crime areas

United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym Worthy and Detroit Police Chief James E. White announced this week a targeted law enforcement initiative that is designed to reduce gun violence in Detroit’s neighborhoods with the highest incidence of violent crime.

With the summer months here, this effort will strategically focus resources on the most dangerous neighborhoods of the city. These neighborhoods in the 8th and 9th Precincts lead the city in fatal and non-fatal shootings, robberies, and aggravated assaults with a gun in 2022.

The strategy is a part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.

Importantly, this enforcement strategy will be paired with enhanced efforts from the City of Detroit to address blight and other quality of life issues for residents living in the designated enforcement areas.

City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship Detroit ACE partners with Motor City Sings on community songwriting project

• Efforts to address the need for improved mental health and suicide prevention among African Americans in Detroit

Detroit ACE is partnering on a new community initiative called Boa Me: A Community Songwriting Project.

The project is a five-month community project produced by Detroit native and culture creator Ben Will and Motor City Sings, a nonprofit organization that uses music to remove the stigma from conversations about mental health and suicide prevention within Detroit’s African American communities.

The launch concert on July 1 is the first in-person event for Motor City Sings in nearly two years. The concert will feature acoustic musical performances by several Motor City Singers’ Space favorite artists and special guests.

Motor City Sings is currently searching for Detroit-based singer/songwriters, lyricists, and music producers who identify as Black/African American to join our summer artists collective for Boa Me: A Community Songwriting Project. Each artist collective will work with a research team to learn how Black Detroiters have navigated the last two years of the global pandemic. After observing community discussions, each collective will then work together to compose new original music inspired by the research findings.

All roles will be compensated. The application closes on June 17. For more information, read the full story on the City webpage at Motor City Sings Songwriting Project (detroitmi.gov)

Motor City Match winner Soul 2 Go restuarant opens

Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison speaks at the opening of the Soul 2 Go Delivery and Takeout restaurant this week on Detroit’s east side. The Motor City Match winner is owned by Detroiter Travez Daniel, and offers residents local soul food.

Detroiters can get Google certificates through free program

Detroit at Work is teaming up with Google to offer free access to Google Certificates in various IT fields.

Detroit residents can now pick from six different courses and attain various Google Certificates to increase their skills and pursue a career in Information Technology.

For course listings, eligibility requirements, and info on how to take part, call (313) 962-9675, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit detroitatwork.com/google

Motor City Makeover moves to District 6

District 6 residents will come together to clean up and beautify neighborhoods as Motor City Makeover continues this Saturday, June 11. The City’s annual cleanup and beautification effort takes place on seven Saturdays in May and June.

Individuals and community groups must register with the City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods (DON) in order to receive a limited supply of bags and gloves, as well as information regarding special pickups of brush, tires, bagged litter and roll-off containers. Debris will only be collected from pre-determined locations.             

• District 6 – June 11
• District 7 – June 18