INKSTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — Inkster is cracking down on teen crime through a combination of arrests, federal charges, a new curfew, and community outreach programs.
Six teenagers arrested in the past month are members of rival gangs and are not from Inkster, according to Police Chief Tamika Jenkins. Her department has worked alongside Michigan State Police to pull suspected gang members off the streets, often resulting in federal charges.
Indictment photos show guns modified with "switches," or machine gun conversion devices, which allow firearms to become fully automatic — making them illegal.
Chief Jenkins said the partnership has made a measurable difference.
"They tend to migrate here, and two opposing groups are at odds with each other. And so, that has been causing a lot of the issues that we've been experiencing in our city. But, I must say, with the help and the partnership that we have with Michigan State Police, we have been able to take a lot of those people off the street, which has cut down on our shootings tremendously within the last month or so," Chief Jenkins said.
Inkster has also launched a zero-tolerance curfew. Anyone 17 or younger must be off the streets or accompanied by an adult between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Violations are a misdemeanor.
Jenkins urged parents to stay engaged with their children.
"We really encourage the parents to get involved with their kids, know what they're doing on social media, know who they're hanging out with. Because ultimately, they see the change in their kid's behavior before anyone else does," Chief Jenkins said.
Alongside law enforcement efforts, a local nonprofit is working to steer young men away from trouble. Get a Life Services, founded by Dr. Leon Crawford Jr. and based in Inkster, hosts monthly service activities for boys ages 9 to 17.
"Inkster needs a branch, an olive branch to reach to young men to say, 'Listen, there is places that you can go. There are things that you can do that is fun. You can learn. As well as, most of all, stay out of trouble,'" Crawford said.
This past weekend, participants took part in a neighborhood cleanup. Executive Director Priscilla Crawford said the experience resonates with the young men involved.
"They actually clean the community, and they were eager to do it, and what that does is, it rubs off from the young one to the older one, and they'll come in a little hesitant, but by the time they leave, they have a whole level of enthusiasm regarding the program," Priscilla Crawford said.
Every August, Get a Life Services hosts a camp for young men focused on life skills. X'zavier Crawford, an 8th grader at American International Academy and the founder's nephew, said the camp made an impact on him.
"How to change a tire and start up a car, and know how to dress properly, like, know how to tie a tie," X'zavier Crawford said.
Get a Life Services will host a dinner dance fundraiser called the Sneaker Ball this Saturday evening at Hype Recreation Center in Wayne.
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