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Police increasing patrols to prevent teen takeovers over the weekend
Detroit police increased patrols Friday night around Cadillac Square and Campus Martius in an effort to prevent more large gatherings from getting out of control.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Downtown Detroit has been dealing with a series of teen takeovers in recent weeks, and concerns escalated after a 14-year-old was shot a week prior. Police say the teen is expected to make a full recovery, but with a busy holiday weekend and ‘Movement Festival’ underway, many are wondering whether things will remain peaceful.
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Detroit police increased patrols Friday night around Cadillac Square and Campus Martius in an effort to prevent more large gatherings from getting out of control.
"It was a little chaotic, but we were able to keep it under control," said Juanzel Smith, co-owner of Culture Downtown. "We connect with the kids because we’ve been buying, selling and blessing them. We’ve held different events for them over the years, so a lot of these kids know us and grew up around us."
Smith says a few weeks ago, dozens of teenagers rushed into his downtown shoe and clothing store. He says nothing was stolen, but the group cleared out within minutes. Since then, several teen takeovers have happened downtown, including the incident last Sunday when the 14-year-old was shot.
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The violence comes just weeks after Mayor Mary Sheffield introduced a six-point community safety plan focused on neighborhood investment, mental health services and programs like midnight basketball.
Smith and Pastor Maurice "Pastor Mo" Hardwick of the Live in Peace Movement say they support the mayor’s plan, but hope the violence doesn’t continue.
"I want Detroit parents to know where your children are," said Pastor Mo. "If they’re underage, don’t have them downtown in groups without chaperons. Make sure they’re home by curfew. Downtown is for everybody, but you can’t have violence, fighting and people taking over downtown."
What's next:
With Movement Festival happening this weekend, Detroit police say people should expect to continue seeing an increased law enforcement presence throughout the downtown area.
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