We’ve made real progress on non-carceral public safety.
Detroit’s FY27 budget includes investments in community safety that we support: $10.8M for Community Violence Intervention, $1M for Ceasefire, more funding for lighting and beautification, and a new Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety. These are the kinds of public safety strategies Detroiters have advocated for for years. Now the city must make them durable public infrastructure, not short-term pilots or grant-funded experiments.fa
But Detroit is still overinvesting in policing.
The proposed DPD budget rises for the third straight year to $466.9M, up from roughly $455M last year and $442M the year before. Detroit cannot claim to be serious about community safety while continuing to expand police spending year after year.
Co-response is not non-police response.
Detroit is expanding 24-hour police co-response (when clinicians respond with police). That is not the same as building a true non-police crisis response system that can support our most vulnerable neighbors in a crisis. If the city wants to lead on true safety for Detroiters, it should invest in response systems people can access without police or criminalization.
Oversight matters.
We applaud the creation of the Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety and the city’s continued investment in Community Violence Intervention. Now the city must match those commitments with robust community oversight, public reporting, and long-term funding so safety is shaped by residents and accountable to community.
For all of these reasons, we are encouraging our supporters in Detroit to weigh in on the March 30th public budget hearing at 5 pm. We’ve drafted some language for you to contact your city councilor. If you can’t make the meeting, we encourage you to reach out to your city councilperson via email, which we have listed below.
Public comment script
Good morning Council President and members of Council.
My name is [NAME], and I’m from [NEIGHBORHOOD/ORG].
I want to start by recognizing that this budget includes real investments in community safety that organizers and residents have fought for over many years. Continued funding for community violence intervention, support for Ceasefire, investments in lighting, beautification, and youth programming all reflect the truth that safety does not come from policing alone.
But this budget still does not go far enough. The proposed Detroit Police Department budget rises again to $466.9 million. At the same time, the city is adding a third shift for 24-hour police co-response. That is not the same as building a true non-police crisis response system. If Detroit is serious about public safety for our most vulnerable neighbors in crisis, residents need options they can access without police or criminalization.
We are asking Council to do three things.
- First, protect and strengthen investments in non-carceral safety infrastructure like CVI, neighborhood stabilization, youth supports, and public space improvements.
- Second, insist on durability. These investments should not be treated as temporary pilots or one-time enhancements. Detroit needs sustained funding and long-term infrastructure for community safety.
- Third, require robust public accountability. Any new safety office or violence prevention investment should come with transparent reporting, community oversight, and real resident feedback.
Detroiters deserve a budget that treats care, stability, and neighborhood investment as the foundation of safety, not as an afterthought to continued police expansion.
Thank you.
Shorter public comment version
Detroit’s budget includes important investments in community safety, including CVI, Ceasefire, lighting, beautification, and youth programming. We support those investments. But the city is also raising the police budget again to $466.9 million and expanding 24-hour police co-response. Co-response is not a non-police response. We urge Council to strengthen long-term non-carceral safety infrastructure, require community oversight, and move Detroit toward a non-police crisis response that people can access without criminalization, surveillance, or armed enforcement.
Email template to Council
Subject: Strengthen non-carceral safety investments in Detroit’s FY27 budget
Dear Council President Tate and members of Detroit City Council,
I’m writing to urge Council to strengthen the non-carceral public safety portions of Detroit’s FY27 budget while rejecting continued police expansion.
We appreciate that the proposed budget includes continued funding for Community Violence Intervention, Ceasefire, lighting, beautification, youth programming, and a new Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety. These are real safety strategies, and they reflect years of advocacy from Detroiters who have pushed the city to invest in care, prevention, and neighborhood stability.
At the same time, the proposed Detroit Police Department budget rises again to $466.9 million, and the city is expanding 24-hour police co-response. Detroit should not continue increasing police spending while failing to build a fully non-police crisis response system. A police-linked response is not the same as a care-first alternative.
I urge Council to:
- Protect and expand non-carceral safety investments.
- Prioritize sustained funding, not one-time pilots.
- Require transparent reporting and community oversight for new safety initiatives.
- Push the city toward a non-police crisis response model.
Detroiters deserve a public safety budget rooted in care, dignity, and accountability.
Sincerely,
[NAME]
[ORG / NEIGHBORHOOD]
Call-in / Zoom option
Residents can can attend by phone using any of these numbers and entering Meeting ID: 85846903626##. To speak during public comment, phone participants raise their hand by pressing *9. The city also says the main online meeting link is detroitmi.gov/Online-CC-Meeting.
Phone numbers:
929-436-2866
312-626-6799
669-906-6833
253-215-8782
301-715-8592
346-248-7799
Council contacts
James Tate — councilmembertate@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-1027
Coleman A. Young II — coleman.young@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-4248
Mary Waters — councilmemberwaters@detroitmi.gov — (313) 628-2363
Angela Whitfield-Calloway — councilmembercalloway@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-4535
Scott Benson — bensons@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-1198
Latisha Johnson — councilmemberjohnson@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-4841
Renata Miller — CouncilmemberMiller@detroitmi.gov — (313)-224-3443
Gabriela Santiago-Romero — councilmembergabriela@detroitmi.gov — (313) 224-2450
Denzel Anton McCampbell — councilmemberdenzel@detroitmi.gov — district page lists (313) 224-2151