DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit residents are hitting the streets, working together to make their neighborhoods safer.
It's part of the Citizens Radio Patrol program — an effort that unites volunteers to deter crime and report everyday issues impacting their communities.
Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report below:
Barb and Joe Matney are working to improve their neighborhood on Detroit's west side. Barb is the president of South Warrendale Radio Patrol, a group of volunteers who patrol the area several days a week.
"Probably one of the most important things are being visible out in the communities because crime doesn't like to be seen," Barb Matney said.
The group also identifies quality-of-life issues like blight.
"You can even see from here how overgrown it is, you can't walk the sidewalk," Matney said.
From there, they use the Improve Detroit app to bring issues to the city's attention — and they're creating real change. Barb and Joe Matney said years ago it would take them hours to report all the illegal dumping in the neighborhood. Now, things have turned around.
"Before there would be piles of garbage big as the garage sitting out on the berms; every street was like that. Now you can drive the streets and not see any," Joe Matney said.
Citizens Radio Patrol started in Detroit nearly 60 years ago.
"It first started in 1967, after the riot in that 12th and Clairmount area," Myra Gracey said.
Gracey is the coordinator of the program for the Detroit Police Department. Currently, 21 different radio patrols operate in the city, and Gracey says they are a crucial resource.
"The biggest thing about volunteers is they live in the community. So they know what's normal, what's abnormal, what's usual, unusual. So we rely on them a lot," Gracey said.
Gracey says the COVID-19 pandemic caused the number of patrol groups to decline, but they are working to add more.
"If we could have every community in the city of Detroit have a named radio patrol, it would truly be a safer city to live in," Gracey said.
Barb Matney says the program is also building a sense of community.
"Even the kids, they're waving at us first when we're coming down the street. A lot of positive reactions," Matney said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
