City officials and business leaders laud Project Green Light, May 23

DETROIT — Project Green Light, the crime-fighting initiative streaming live footage to the police from businesses that stay open late, is working, Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday.

Duggan added that the program has succeeded in significantly decreasing violent crime at participating locations, but said it’s not expanding fast enough.

He plans on drafting a City Council ordinance within 90 days that would make it mandatory for stores that operate at night to increase security measures.

“Every business in the city that’s receiving customers after 10 p.m. either needs to be a ‘Green Light’ business or have equivalent security on site,” the mayor told reporters at a press conference announcing that seven McDonald’s restaurant will soon join the project. Four McDonald’s restaurants in the city are already “Green Light” businesses.

Duggan lauded the participating McDonald’s, saying that joining the initiative indicates “responsible business ownership.”

The project kicked off in January with eight gas stations. Police Chief James Craig said violent crime has decreased by more than 50 percent at those locations. 

Police officials have long recognized the vulnerability of customers at late night businesses in Detroit, especially gas stations and liquor stores, where robberies and carjackings have become common.

The “real time crime” approach deters criminals, Craig said.

Being a Green Light business could cost more than $6,000. Participating stores have to install HD cameras and proper lighting. They also must subscribe to an Internet service that would support the livestreaming. 

A total of 26 businesses are a part of the program, with 11 more expected to join soon.

Duggan said the police are doing their part to keep Detroit safe.

“Business owners that are profiting from customers in Detroit, they do have a responsibility to do their share,” he said.

He also said Project Green Light is one step in a multi-faceted effort to combat crime in the city. He added that gun violence in Detroit is unacceptable and intolerable. 

“We have too many individuals who are settling their disputes with gun violence and think that’s an acceptable way,” he said. “We are going to respond on several different fronts and we’re going to do it pretty aggressively.”

The mayor added that Detroit has the funding to hire 250 new officers. The city has raised the starting salary for police officers to attract recruits.

Project Green Light made national headlines in March when HD cameras at a participating gas station captured a woman pulling a gun out of her skirt and shooting a man in his car.

The video led to shooter’s swift arrest.

Chief Craig said the highly publicized incident is one of many occasions where live surveillance cameras helped identify suspects or prevent violence.

He described the business-police partnership initiative as exceptional.

“As it expands, I’m convinced suspects are going to come to a place where they don’t know where to commit crime,” he said. “So they’re going to take it somewhere else, but not here in the city of Detroit.”

Jon Campbell, who owns the McDonald’s franchise on Grand River where the press conference took place, said Project Green Light has discouraged loitering and eradicated violence and drug-related problems at that location.

“It’s just quiet; sometimes, I feel it is too quiet,” he joked. 

Michael and Ali Saad, the owners of Starter’s Bar & Grill on the city’s west side, spent $6,800 on cameras and lights for their restaurant to join the program.

They said it was a worthy expense.

They added that the initiative cuts down on loitering and makes diners more comfortable, which encourages more residents to frequent their restaurant.

“It’s an investment in the city, an investment in our customers and an investment in ourselves,” Michael Saad said.

He added that the initiative strengthens trust and cooperation between officers, business owners and the community. 

“As Arab Americans, we don’t want to be seen as taking from the city without investing in the city,” Saad said. 

Mallak Beydoun, a senior project manager for the city of Detroit, urged small businesses to join the initiative, saying it will help the city move forward.

She added that the program has a positive impact on business.

“Becoming a ‘Green Light’ partner makes a profound impact on the community and helps improve the overall quality of life for people,” she said. “By ensuring customer safety, patrons are more likely to visit Green Light businesses.”