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Detroit Police Department adds extra patrols in Greektown under new safety plan

Officials develop safety plan to address disorderly behavior as people emerge from pandemic lockdown

DETROITGreektown was packed Friday night with people wanting to have some weekend fun, but more Detroit police officers were out riding and walking around.

Members of Detroit 300 were also in Greektown on Friday.

Brittany Rogers said she thinks the extra security is necessary.

“I hear on the news so much about how many people are getting into fights and shootings,” Rogers said.

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The new safety plan, called “Greektown Crackdown,” was launched to stop the violence. Besides more officers, there’s a zero tolerance policy for any type of illegal activity in Greektown. The streets are also being shut down to control the crowd flow.

The plan was was developed because of the large fights that happened multiple weekends in a row.

Cayla Tutt was there last weekend when one of the fights broke out.

“It was a mess. It started from just a man who was just drunk in the bar. He got kicked out. And then, I think, he approached somebody, who was just sitting, eating his food and it turned into an whole ordeal,” Tutt said.

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Melanie Markowicz with the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership said the new safety plan is needed.

“Our neighborhood, the Greektown Neighborhood, is in full support of the Detroit Police Department’s five-point crowd management plan. We were happy to partner with them to work on all of the kind of challenges we’re seeing downtown and across the city,” Markowicz said.

But will the plan work? Do people feel safe?

“Yeah, I feel safe. Yes. I love the city. Yeah, I feel good,” said David Brown.

Detroit police said they might seize cars as well if anyone is caught doing something wrong.

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