Teen takeovers in Detroit, beyond have police searching for solutions as summer nears
Teen takeovers continue to cause issues in Detroit, beyond
Teen takeovers happening around the country, including in Detroit, are starting to spread to other areas of Metro Detroit. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office recently stopped a planned takeover in Pontiac after learning about it.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - With summer on the way, leaders and law enforcement are working to stop a trend sweeping the nation – teen takeovers.
Large groups of young people have been gathering in Detroit and in cities around the country, leading to violence and crime in some cases.
The backstory:
Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest at one of these unsanctioned events in Detroit, while last month a group was caught on video chasing someone down as they attempted to snatch his chain.
On Memorial Day, police broke up large crowds of young people at Peterson Park on Greenfield near Outer Drive.
'Don't let me die': 14-year-old shot in Detroit teen takeover shares his story
"He got shot a quarter of an inch away from his heart," she said. "He may not have been here if he had turned the wrong way."
While that gathering wasn't violent, the trend is spreading and alarming law enforcement.
What they're saying:
"We've seen those takeovers across the country, and they've turned destructive and violent," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office recently stopped a takeover in Pontiac after learning one was being planned.
Detroit police increase patrols amid rise in violence during teen takeover trend
Downtown Detroit has been dealing with a series of teen takeovers in recent weeks, and concerns escalated after a 14-year-old was shot last weekend. 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.
"They're illegal. When you illegally take over private property, or you illegally take over public property without following proper protocol," Bouchard said, noting that many cities require permits to host large gatherings.
What they're doing:
Detroit police continue to work to enforce the city's curfew for minors, while Mayor Mary Sheffield's office is pushing forward with her office's six-point safety plan, which she introduced in April.
This plan includes providing young people with more things to do when these takeovers are happening. For instance, the mayor wants to expand recreation center hours until 11 p.m. in the summer.
Sheffield pushes forward after another Detroit 'Teen Takeover' shooting
The non-fatal shooting took place weeks after the city began addressing the ‘teen takeovers,' including Mayor Mary Sheffield's deployment of her 6-point community plan to address the violence among young people.
"We are going to continue to push enforcement and accountability. I want to be very clear that while this administration is creating safe spaces and investing in prevention, we equally are promoting accountability and enforcement, and we will not tolerate violence. We will not tolerate what we saw this weekend. We will continue to push for parental responsibility enforcement in our curfews," Sheffield said after the recent teen takeover shooting.
The Source: Previous reporting was used in this story.