Project Green Light expands to more Detroit businesses

DETROIT (WJBK) - The chief of police calls it a proven tool that cuts down on crime and saves lives.

In the wake of yet another bloody weekend in Detroit, "Project Green Light"  is expanding.

Chief James Craig and Mayor Mike Duggan, say that Project Green Light at Detroit gas stations work.

"There's no doubt that cameras, particularly at the gas stations, have had an effect," Duggan said.

It was another violent weekend in the city with a total of 21 non-fatal shootings -  five fatal and one fatal stabbing.

"We understand how bad this gun violence is," Duggan said. "We're not going to put up with that, we are going to attack it with strategies that work," Duggan said.

Chief Craig says violent crime at project Green Light stores, gas stations and restaurants is down 52 percent and carjackings alone, down 25 percent.

"Something's working," Craig said. "You've got cops that are motivated, doing a great job, you've got a couple of these initiatives, you've got a community that is becoming empowered and mobilized."

On Monday a McDonald's on Grand River became an example of 11 more restaurants in the city that will become project Green Light locations.

"We want people to be able to bring their kids and families in here and not worry about the riffraff or loitering that takes place in the restaurants," said store owner Jon Campbell.

Project Green Light businesses have high definition surveillance cameras capturing video in real time for officers to monitor -- then, respond faster.

A shooting on Fenkell last March was another example where within two hours of the video being released the female suspect was arrested, Craig said.

Mayor Mike Duggan said with the cost of equipment running about $4,000 to $5,000  the only problem is the program isn't expanding fast enough.'

"We need to look at every single business receiving customers after 10 p.m. needs to be a Green Light business or have equivalent security on site," Duggan said.

While Duggan plans to propose a new ordinance to city council, Craig says he plans to expand The Ceasefire Project which aims to target crime at its source from the east side to the west side. Crime in those locations are down 25 percent and shootings 40 percent.

Duggan says over the next 90 days he will be consulting with Detroit City Council about the proposed security ordinance.