Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has announced the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety, a new city office aimed at advancing violence prevention and community well-being. The announcement was made as Sheffield signed an Executive Order establishing the office, which will officially begin operations on April 7.
The Hudson-Webber Foundation is providing $200,000 in support for the new office. Donald Rencher, President and CEO of the foundation, said, “Hudson-Webber Foundation is proud to support the City of Detroit in strengthening a coordinated, community-driven approach to violence prevention. We know that sustainable public safety is achieved when residents, community organizations and government work together. This new office represents an important step toward building the infrastructure, trust and long-term strategies necessary to ensure that every Detroit neighborhood has the opportunity to be safe, stable and thriving.”
Teferi Brent, a longtime community advocate with more than three decades of experience in organizing and leadership roles, will serve as Director of the new office. Brent stated, “True safety starts in our neighborhoods when people feel seen, supported and valued. Our ultimate objective is to serve as a bridge between governmental resources and community-based safety organizations. We believe in a whole-of-government approach that eliminates silos and makes critical resources more accessible to our first responders and community leaders.”
The Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety will centralize several existing programs under one umbrella. These include Community Violence Intervention (CVI) initiatives such as ShotStoppers; conflict resolution programs; survivor advocacy services; domestic violence prevention efforts; reentry support for adults and juveniles; and Group Violence Intervention (GVI) programs like Ceasefire.
A significant focus for the new office will be addressing domestic violence and intimate partner violence (IPV), which accounted for 17% of homicides in Detroit last year. The city plans to use data from its CVI program—originally focused on gang-related violence—to develop strategies specifically targeting domestic violence.
Mayor Sheffield highlighted recent progress in reducing crime: “All categories of major crime in Detroit saw significant reductions in 2025, with new historic lows of criminal homicides, nonfatal shootings and carjackings,” she said. “Detroit has shown that when we work together, real progress is possible. Our comprehensive approach to public safety is working, but sustaining that progress requires continued partnership and further strengthening the bridge between government and neighborhood leaders. This office is ensuring that every neighborhood has the tools and support it needs to be safe and thrive.”
Brent emphasized that addressing domestic violence would require both conflict resolution skills and restorative practices: “Domestic violence really can’t be effectively addressed without these two approaches,” he said. “Just like CVI work, our job is to change patterns of behavior and to give people options and tool other than violence.”
Community groups have voiced their support for this initiative. Negus Vu, President of The People’s Action community organization stated: “Detroit is the first city to devise a comprehensive strategy from the Mayor’s Office specifically designed to address DVI [domestic violence intervention] and IPV-related fatal and nonfatal shootings. That leadership matters. It sets a precedent. It sends a message that we are not waiting for solutions, we are building them.”
Dr. Keisha Allen, CEO of Black Family Development International Training Institute added: “If we truly desire sustainable, peaceful, and safe communities across Detroit, restorative conflict resolution must be a foundational strategy within our neighborhoods, not an afterthought,” she said. “I commend the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety for recognizing that real safety is co-created with the community through restoration, engagement, and proactive conflict resolution.”
The new office will coordinate efforts among various city departments as well as external partners including public health agencies, law enforcement agencies, schools, hospitals,
and social service providers.
