(CBS DETROIT) – The city of Detroit’s ShotStoppers program gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to several organizations in the city with the goal of reducing crime in their neighborhood.
We caught up with one of the groups that is benefiting from the funds to talk about their plans for their community.
Our Ray Strickland went to Detroit’s east side and spent the day with the president of the Mohican Regent Association, who spoke about the work they’re doing to help make their community better.
“When I first moved into this neighborhood, neighbors were working with one another, neighbors communicated with one another,” said George Preston.
It’s like taking a trip down memory lane for George Preston.
As we drove around the Mohican Regent Neighborhood, Preston was reminded of how much his community has changed.
“We lost that community spirit,” he said.
Mohican Regent is home to one of the deadliest areas by zip code in Detroit: 48205. Preston describes the area as one filled with hard-working families who simply want to see their community thrive.
But he admits crime, specifically gang activity, can take a toll on any community’s spirit.
“Older people began to move out of the neighborhood because of some crimes in the neighborhood. The perception of crimes in the neighborhood,” Preston said.
Resilient is another way Preston would describe the Mohican Regent.
He and members of the community are determined to be a part of the change they want to see. His neighborhood group has taken money out of their own pockets to uplift the community in many ways.
And now, because of Detroit’s ShotStoppers program, they can give back even more.
“It’s going to be adult education here. We are going to do tutoring, the DIY types of things, we are going to have an expert in various fields carpentry, plumbing, and we are going to…
