Detroit police prepare to ensure safety at annual tree lighting ceremony downtown

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It’s a true sign of the holidays, the annual tree lighting ceremony in downtown Detroit. Meanwhile, a safety plan with a lot of moving parts has been in the works over the span of many months. 

Thousands are expected to be all snuggled in the downtown area, surrounding the stunning 66-foot Michigan grown Norway spruce, for the official tree lighting ceremony that has been going 21 years strong.

"Looking like it's going to be a lot of people here. We are anticipating 50,000," said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington. "Another day to have a great time. We know how to do this."

Officials from Detroit police, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police rolled out their safety plan for the festivities that are set to begin on Friday evening starting at 4 p.m. 

In 2023, it was great with no issues. But the same could not be said about the year before.

"The year before that, it was a lot of teenagers, you know, running around, and we don't mind that, but it's more so un-supervised teens," said Detroit Interim Chief Todd Bettison. 

Two shootings involving teens took place right near all the action back in 2022. One 15-year-old was shot in the neck, another shot in the leg. Both shootings were related. 

Bettison says if there is a headline to their safety plan, it would be that there are no unaccompanied minors allowed while attending the event. That stands for 17 years old and younger.

"I'm asking parents to make sure that you don't just drop your kids off and that you actually come down, enjoy the festivities, and supervise them," said Bettison.

A long list of what not to bring has been made with the big ones being no weapons of any kind, pets or drones. Navigating that is simple compared to the road closures in the greater Campus Martius area starting Thursday to early Saturday morning.

"We ask you to pack your patience, because, as you see streets blocked off now, there will be a lot blocked off then," said Washington.

Extra police resources to wrangle the crowds, but Detroiters won’t see a change in their services.

"We got to make sure that the neighborhoods are covered and that its adequate officers still within the neighborhoods of our city so that those police runs are being answered, so I'm not neglecting anything we have it all covered," Bettison said.