Detroit deploys 'next generation' security technology ahead of fireworks

Detroit — In an effort to curb gun violence at major summer events, including the return of the fireworks to downtown, the city has spent $1.4 million in bond money to buy 10 mobile weapon detectors.

For the first time since 2019, the annual fireworks ahead of Independence Day are taking place in Detroit this month after being produced the past two years from Lake St. Clair Metro Park. The Detroit-based show has been interrupted by gunfire in prior years. In 2017, two shootings injured three people, and in 2015, nine people were injured by gunfire at the event. 

Now is the perfect time to introduce the "next generation of metal detectors" from Massachusetts-based Evolv Technology, said Detroit Police Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes, noting gun violence has been spiking across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The technology processes many times more people than traditional detectors, potentially freeing up police officers to provide security away from the machines, Hayes said.

"We have to be mindful and as public safety service, we have to look for ways to foster a safe environment, discourage poor decision-making and have the tools to hold someone accountable who wants to make that poor decision," Hayes said.

The goal is to discourage people from bringing guns to crowded events in the city, and the detectors will be strategically placed where high crowd activity is occurring on a given weekend or at any event being held with a city permit, he said. Block club parties can also request an Evolv detector be placed for their events for no charge.

More:What to know about the 2022 Ford Fireworks show in Detroit

"Don't be surprised to see them any and everywhere," Hayes said. "This is one of those selfless nights we don't get to enjoy, but we do take comfort in fostering a safe environment so that thousands of other people can."

The detectors can screen up to 3,600 people per hour because two people can enter them at the same time instead of individuals going through single file, according to Evolv Technology's website. 

Using biometric scanners and cameras, the touchless system can identify hidden weaponry on individuals even if they're quickly passing through with a large crowd, Hayes said.

The machines look for the shape of firearms, knives or weapons instead of scanning for small amounts of metal, allowing people to walk through while wearing jewelry and carrying car keys.

The machines will be deployed at Detroit's fireworks on June 27, and those entering Hart Plaza through Jefferson Avenue will be required to walk through them. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the fireworks show downtown, Hayes said, adding they expect an 8 p.m. curfew for minors. A curfew still needs to be approved by the Detroit City Council, which has imposed curfews for those younger than age 18 since 2018.

Should someone be legally carrying a firearm, police will have a conversation on the side about the use of the weapon at the event. Police will confiscate illegally carried weapons, Hayes said. The hope is that the machines will deter people from carrying guns to a large public event overall, he said.

"Just leave them at home," said Hayes, who said he never imagined needing to deploy the technology outdoors in Detroit.

"But the circumstances require it," Hayes said. "To have this technology here, I never could have imagined it, but I'm excited to give a sense of comfort to those that want to come live, work and play in our city."

The detectors were delivered to the city less than a month ago, but Hayes already has high hopes they will allow officers to spend less time scanning patrons by hand and deploy staffers elsewhere.

The detectors were purchased for $140,000 each using unlimited tax general obligation bonds, which were approved by voters in 2009, said Stephanie Davis, spokeswoman for Detroit’s chief financial officer. 

The technology is not controversial with City Council. But the council has delayed action on a Duggan administration proposal to expand the city's ShotSpotter gunfire listening detection system. A council committee earlier this month posted a vote on a proposed $7.5 million expansion of the ShotSpotter system along with a $1.5 million renewal of the existing system software after the mayor's office requested more time for community engagement.

Mayor Mike Duggan said it was on a trip to Boston where he saw the Evolv technology being used. Evolv's machines can be found at L.L. Bean stores, Six Flags Theme Parks and Wynn Las Vegas. It is even being piloted at Oxford High School following the Nov. 30 shooting.

Duggan spent a significant portion of his keynote address earlier this month at the Mackinac Policy Conference introducing Chief James White and advocating for advanced police technology, including Evolv and ShotSpotter.

White said the department saw an uptick of 44% uptick in the first half of 2021 in nonfatal shootings compared with the first half of 2020, indicating people are carrying firearms wherever they congregate. But most of Detroit's violent crime categories, including murder, declined in 2021. 

To combat the summer spike in shootings, police are focused on pinpointing high-crime areas and deploying officers where suspicious activities are reported, White said.

“We are saying to people ahead of time, before you go to that block party, you’re going to have to go through this weapons detector," he said at the Mackinac conference. “We don’t want to arrest you. We’re telling you ahead of time. … Leave your gun at home.”

srahal@detoitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_

Correction: An earlier version of the story had an incorrect funding source for purchasing the weapon detectors.