DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit's Occupy the Summer program held its final event Friday night at the Boys and Girls Club on the city's west side, wrapping up roughly two months of weekly events aimed at giving young people positive activities.
The program was created in June, in part, as a response to a wave of teen takeovers across the city and country. The mayor met with Detroit teens involved in those incidents, who told her the takeovers were partially because they had nothing to do. More activities, they said, might be a solution.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
The finale featured kickball, music, face painting, bounce houses, free food, free ice cream, vendors and music. Famous athletes and celebrities, including Big Sean, took part in a kickball game that drew cheerleaders and crowds throughout the day.
Detroit parent Marquita Davis brought her two kids to a few of the Occupy the Summer events, including the finale.
"It was awesome. The concert, the vendors, the free food, free ice cream, it was awesome, 10/10," Davis said.
Davis said the program kept her family's summer full.
"I have a teenager here and she love these little events," Davis said.
For other parents like Angela Vaughn and Angel Hudson, the final event was their first of the summer. Both had daughters cheerleading at the kickball game.
"We've been here since 4:30 (afternoon) and it's been busy way before then, lines wrapped around the corner, all the kids out here," Vaughn said. "It brings them close together, keep them off the streets and just gives them positive things to think of and do."
Hudson said the event represented something the community needed.
"This is something positive for the community and we need positivity," Hudson said.
Detroit teenager Kayla Fields echoed that sentiment.
"It's real fun for the kids who have nothing to do and great for the kids who need book bags and haircuts and stuff," Fields said.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison called the program a huge success. He said the city has not had a teen takeover since Occupy the Summer began and noted that violence among teens and children is down this summer compared to last year.
"Oftentimes when we talk about youth violence, we talk about crime, it's because they don't have anything to do. We have completely occupied their summer, given them activity, positive things," Bettison said.
Watch our previous report when the program started below:
Bettison pointed to a measurable difference from the previous summer.
"If you look at last year, I don't have the same level of youth violence. I'm not reporting on kids being shot and killed like I did last year," Bettison 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.
