Project Green Light expanding to Detroit's public housing

DETROIT (WJBK) - Project Green Light in Detroit has been promoted by Detroit police as a major deterrent to crime. Now it's being added to Detroit's public housing program.

If you pass by gas stations, liquor stores, or restaurants in Detroit, you'll see flashing green lights. The program has proven to be successful so far and is not expanding to public house, starting with Sherid Place on Jefferson Avenue. 

"I love it - you need security anyway. You got it on the inside but you need it on the outside too," said resident Eugene Brown.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig and Mayor Mike Duggan visited visiting the senior living complex this summer and talked with seniors about the program.

"They had concerns over break ins and loitering and the mayor asked the residents there if they would be willing to join Green Light and the response was overwhelmingly supportive," said Capt. Kari Sloan.

Detroit police and the city's housing commission agreed to place 26 HD cameras outside, or facing outside, feeding back to the department's real time crime center. 

Detroit Housing commission board president  Richard Hosey says the decision to expand the project here was an easy one.

"You have a lot of occupancy in towers so it's easy to cover the area. our senior communityl, we want to make sure they are always protected. so this is great first step," Hosey said.

While it did get enough to support to start the program, not everyone supports it.

"That's an invasion of privacy. we seniors, we done lived our lived our life. nobody wants a shadow over our head all the time," said one resident who wouldn't give his name.

Despite that, Hosey says it was an easy decision to try to make the housing safer.

"Because we already have cameras on the property, it's hard for me to understand that making them more effective is not a bad thing."

Detroit police said not only will the cameras be updated, outside lighting will be greatly improved.