US Attorney Dawn Ison goes door-to-door promoting 'Peacenic' for Detroiters this weekend

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It takes work to promote peace - and US Attorney Dawn Ison is a Detroiter willing to walk the walk.

She spent time on Monday spreading the word about a peaceful picnic - a "Peacenic"

"It’s a Peacenic it’s going to have fun and food and resources, it’s going to be right there," she told one man passing by.
 
It will be held this Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Heilmann Rec Center, 19601 Brock Ave, Detroit. It will be an event just like the one on the west side this past weekend.

"We’re going to have food and fun, everything is free, all kinds of things like bouncy houses for the kids, an exotic petting zoo," she told another resident.

Her hope is that events like these will paint police in a different light - especially for the kids.

"So they see that we are real and that we care," Ison said. "We have to have this non-enforcement engagement with the community, especially at a young age."

Last week there were 1,200 people at the Peacenic held at O’hair Park.

FOX 2: "How are we going to make that last and create a safer neighborhood?

"We are doing this continuously," Ison said. "This is just part of it. our summer enforcement."

For this to work, you need people to believe in the message you are spreading. And that means going door to door to build that trust.

The US  Attorney, city officials, and police went door-to-door handing out flyers in this neighborhood promoting Peacenic, but once residents got the flyers did they pay attention and do they know what this is really about?

"Someone knocked on my door and showed me this and it’s a start," said resident Barbara Moore-Peters. "We have to start somewhere."

According to Ison, they are not trying anything new. She says this strategy has proven to work in other communities and believes the foundation will work here as well.

This free event is happening Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Heilmann Park.