DETROIT (WWJ) – There will be more cops on the streets of Detroit this weekend.
Announcing an effort to take on gun violence in Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan this week authorized double-time pay for police officers working overtime on special assignment as the summer draws to a close.
The Detroit Police Department has deployed 200-300 additional officers on weekends all summer to increase police presence across the city. Duggan’s office said Thursday that any officers working overtime hours on those special details will now receive double-time pay through the rest of the summer.
The enhanced overtime rates took effect on Friday and run through Sept. 26, officials said.
The officers working the special assignments are focusing on securing parks, block parties, festivals, sporting events, concerts and other summer activities.
In Duggan’s executive order, the mayor says “as the city enters the last month of back-to-school, Labor Day weekend, festivals and end-of-summer gatherings, it is becoming much more difficult to secure officers to work the necessary overtime shifts to maintain the police presence Chief James White believes to be essential.”
Duggan’s office says the increased presence allows the department to protect against illegal activities at large gatherings and identified crime hotspots.
“Our efforts have been a critical factor in deterring a major increase in gun violence that many cities across the country have experienced in 2022,” a press release said.
“This incentive for the men and women of the Detroit Police Department who put themselves in harm’s way every day is critical to keeping Detroiters safe,” White said.
“Chief White has the right strategies to address the gun violence in our city,” said Mayor Duggan. “What he needs most are officers on patrol. This new incentive will help him provide more officers for special operations and added presence in areas and at times when crowds of people are gathering.”
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