Smart Cities, Safer Cities: Inside the Motor City’s Layered Approach to Safety

We sat down at this year’s ISC West Conference to discuss how city leaders are working towards creating safer public spaces. Along with Franklin Hayes, Deputy Chief of the Detroit Police Department and Attorney Paul Mauro of Demarco Law, former Commanding Officer of the New York City Police Department’s Legal Bureau and the Executive Officer of the Intelligence Operations and Analysis Bureau, the discussion focused on initiatives ranging from community engagement to legal and policy approaches, and the use of different technologies. There was an extensive discussion on how to pilot and deploy new technologies to improve public safety while balancing community needs with the goal of making it safer for residents and visitors.

Using the city of Detroit as a model for other cities, here is a recap of the conversation.

Detroit’s Safety Transformation

In 2007, Detroit was ranked as the most dangerous city in the U.S. Back then, when you turned on the news, you were likely to hear about another shooting. Today, when you turn on the news, you are likely to hear about upcoming festivals, concerts, fairs, and other fun activities happening in the city. These are some of the reasons Detroit is now hailed among the country’s most vibrant cities, earning a spot on TIME’s 2022 list of World’s Greatest Places. One of the most critical drivers for the city’s transformation: safety.

According to Hayes, there is not one solution for eliminating gun violence. You need to establish a baseline and work toward that number being less. “Not trying to eliminate, but decrease the incidents,” he advises. “Don’t chase perfection, chase success.”

With a strategic and layered approach to reducing the threat of gun violence, last year Detroit reported its lowest homicide rate in 57 years; gun violence is down 27%, homicides are down 15%, and non-fatal shootings are down 37%.

Detroit’s Safety Strategy Combines People, Processes and Technology

Detroit has several initiatives designed to bolster safety through technology and proven processes while also bringing the community together.

One of the city’s most prominent and successful initiatives is Project Green Light. At no cost to the city, Project Green Light is a public-private collaboration between the Detroit Police Department (DPD), community groups, and local businesses to enhance public safety. It allows the DPD to monitor or capture live surveillance footage within a 30-day window to be used to help solve crimes. There are visible green lights at businesses throughout the city that signal the location has advanced cameras that feed into the DPD’s real-time crime center to immediately alert police if an incident occurs. There are now more than 900 Project Green Light locations throughout the city.

Along with Project Green Light, Detroit uses license plate reader technology as well as acoustic gunshot detection technology to detect and alert police to local gunshot incidents, resulting in faster response times.

According to Hayes, “The minute we have an issue, we get an alert that gunfire was detected, and we can see where the shooter has traveled and if they passed a license plate reader.”

Establishing Event Protocols and Creating Safer Experiences with Evolv

When the city is hosting a major event, such as block parties, sports, high school games, and city celebrations, Evolv’s AI-based weapons detection systems are often in use. Evolv helps enable Detroit to establish safer spaces where people can gather at events and ease anxiety and fear of gun violence.

With regard to Michigan’s gun laws, Hayes said, “While it is legal to open carry in Michigan, it is not legal to bring a gun into a gathering of 10,000 people.”

To reinforce its commitment to a safer city, the city airs public service announcements (PSA) to inform the community prior to events that weapons screening will be taking place and there will be an increased presence of police.

In case someone missed the PSAs, city officials also post on social media and hang physical signs outside event checkpoints to reiterate that guns are not allowed. As a result of these efforts, local police see people return to their cars after they see the signs.

Building Trust by Listening to the Community

The city is also seeing more cooperation from the community as the result of their efforts, with vocal advocates stating how the technology has helped save lives and speaking up when they see suspicious activity. This goes a long way in building stronger relationships between the police and citizens.

“I think the reason the residents trust us and the community buys into this strategy is because we’re able to give people that sense of we’re making efforts and identifying safe areas,” said Thompson. “While we are not going to catch 100% of criminals, we can change behaviors.”

Along with saving lives and fostering strong ties to the community, Detroit’s safety efforts have enabled the city to save money. When you consider one non-fatal shooting costs the city over $1.3 million, with more resources required if the shooting results in a homicide, the cost benefits are easy to see.

Detroit’s success is largely due to a multi-pronged approach, including engagement with the community, working with local business and organizations, and deploying technology as a force multiplier for the Detroit Police Department. As cities throughout the country explore ways to respond to the threat of gun violence, Detroit is a shining example of how to transform a community and alleviate anxiety.