DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Wednesday, dozens of officers swarmed the east side of Detroit deploying what police are calling Operation Restore Peace.
The operation involves police canvassing neighborhoods, cracking down on noise violations and blight in an effort to ensure a safe summer for all.
This is the second stop after officers talked to neighbors and issued tickets Tuesday near the 8th Precinct.
"We’re going to make sure every side of the city gets the attention that it needs," Deputy Chief Arnold Williams said.
Williams says as the city records historic low violent crime statistics, the department is working to continue the downward trend.
"This neighborhood is beautiful. This block right here is really nice," said Kathie Triplett, who lives in the area police canvassed.
Triplett has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years and says illegal dumping is more of concern to her than violent crime.
"More police would be very good, to see more police in the neighborhood. I think people would give it a second thought about what they’re going to do if they see more police walking around and driving around," Triplett said.
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The operation came right on time for community members like Sandra Turner-Handy with the Denby Neighborhood Alliance, which already works to get rid of blight in the area.
"We know that crime hides behind blight, so this type of activity going on around blight removal, removing abandoned cars and all that is part of what we’re doing to reduce crime," Turner-Handy said. "Criminals feel if we don’t care and we can live with this, then they don’t care about us and the crime they’re committing in our community."
Police say although the operation was already planned, it couldn't have come at a better time after nine people were shot in two separate shootings over the weekend.
Watch our report about the weekend shooting incidents below:
"Any time we see violence happening within the city, it’s problematic for us. The number of shootings we had this past weekend is extremely concerning. It just so happens that we had this enforcement planned and we’re executing it. So, it’s the right time, right place," Williams said.
Police say this operation could go on for the next several day or weeks. They’re also planning to deploy it all across the city.
