After teen summer shootings, Detroit 'puts teeth' into new curfew enforcement

City of Detroit escalates curfew policing with expanded hours

Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison talk about new efforts to curb teen shootings and drag racing this summer.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police and Mayor Mike Duggan announced a response to the rash of teen shootings this summer, promising "a level of curfew enforcement this city has not seen before."

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City leaders announced a Teen Violence Safety Prevention Program Monday with new tactics and strategy underway for the first time in a curfew crackdown.

"We have had 20 shootings of juveniles, either victims or shooters, the last month," Duggan said. "Twelve of 20 have occurred between 10 pm and 4 am this is a time when they should not have been on the streets."

A 2-year-old was shot by a random bullet last weekend while watching fireworks with family members in the 8600 block of Marion Street. The shot was fired a block away at an illegal block party.

"We narrowly avoided an even greater tragedy around midnight July 5th, when a mom holding her two-year-old son watching fireworks had her son shot," Duggan said. "We were very fortunate it wasn't a life-threatening injury, but she wasn't anywhere near any party. It turned out nearly a block away. There was a large street party going on. And by the time the police got there and started making arrests, they made 10 arrests out of that street party."

Detroit police ramp up curfew enforcement after summer teen shootings

FULL PRESSER: Overtime will be approved and with DPD staffing at 99 percent Duggan said the enforcement units may even be kept out past 5 a.m. for instances where the intelligence suggests a planned event may be happening later in the morning.

Part of the focus will now go to groups of juveniles out past curfew which DPD is upgrading to a priority one 911 call, asking the public's help.

Mobile Field Enforcement Units on the east and west sides will have extended hours from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.

City leaders pointed to a drag racing and drifting street takeover at Seven Mile and Meyers on July 5 happened after 3 a.m. and continued for an hour and a half.

Officers had to be pulled from multiple precincts to have enough numbers break up the scene safely and make arrests, which took time.

"What we've seen in the past 30 days is our problems have changed and our strategies need to change," Duggan said. "Problems are happening later at 3, 4, and 5 a.m. And there is a rise in shootings with young people."

Overtime will be approved and with DPD staffing at 99 percent, Duggan said the enforcement units may even be kept out past 5 a.m. for instances where the intelligence suggests a planned event may be happening later in the morning.

More: Detroit block party crackdown: What's permitted, not allowed

As part of the curfew enforcement, vans will be used to pick up and process large groups of juveniles who are reported.

Duggan will also be asking the Detroit City Council to increase its Parental Responsibility Ordinance from a $75 ticket to parents for the first violation and $100 for the second - to $250 and $500.

"There are no teeth in the city's parental responsibility ordinance," he said. " I would ask to go higher but $500 is the maximum under state law. I don't want to fine anybody but we have to ask parents to take this seriously."

Other elements of the summer deployment plan include: