The Jefferson Corridor in Detroit is home to the Clean and Safe program.
The program was created in part by the organization formerly known as the Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA). JEBA recently merged with the East Jefferson Corridor Collaboration to form the Jefferson East Inc.
The program is aimed at reducing crime in the Jefferson Corridor by taking advantage of a special program that allows off-duty Detroit police officers to be hired during their off-hours. The officers are armed, uniformed, and use DPD squad cars, at no extra cost to taxpayers. Cops who have seniority and a clean record are eligible.
This isa news release about what the Secondary Employment program's goal is, as designated by the program passed by former City Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown:
The activation of the Secondary Employment program will enable DPD to redeploy officers. For instance, the police chief can take into account neighborhoods and businesses that hire off-duty officers through this program and crime data in all neighborhoods. Then, DPD can redeploy on-duty officers based on the greatest need to combat crime knowing that a neighborhood may be more protected than another.
According to a story in Model D Media, JEBA said that the program costs between $25-37/hour per officer and an extra $2 administrative fee per hour. The pay varies based on the rank of the officer.
The service is paid for by foundations and local businesses.
Matt Lewis reports in a story in Model D Media that JEBA adds an extra 85 patrol hours per week:
One of the benefits of secondary employment is having a voice in where officers patrol. JEBA, utilizing feedback from neighborhood constituents and extensive crime data analysis, can work with police to target crime hotspots ... JEBA gets detailed crime maps utilizing CompStat from the Center for Urban Studies at Wayne State University and works with the DPD to deploy Secondary Employment officers to areas of crime intensity.
In the last academic year, JEBA was able to redirect a squad car when it got word of a potential student fight after school one day.
Other organizations have also been working in the Jefferson corridor to make it a cleaner and safer place to live. Clean Downtown is working to clean up the area and June on Jefferson brings a month full of music and pop-up businesses to the area.
-- Lucy Perkins, Michigan Radio Newsroom
H/T Vincent Duffy
