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Mount Clemens commission weighs bench removal, targeted patrols and lighting to address downtown safety
Summary
At an off‑week work session, Mount Clemens officials heard business owners and residents urge action after fights and drug incidents in Rotary Park; the commission discussed increased foot patrols, possible removal or redesign of benches, better lighting, signage and creating a smaller working group with nonprofits, but took no formal votes on new ordinances.
The Mount Clemens City Commission met in an off‑week work session to address downtown safety after business owners and residents reported growing problems in Rotary Park and nearby corridors, including drug use, assaults and public defecation. The meeting focused on enforcement, public‑space design and coordination with nonprofits rather than adopting new laws.
Business owners and residents told commissioners the issue goes beyond homelessness and often involves people with untreated mental‑health needs and substance use disorders. "This is not a homeless issue. This is a mental health and an addiction issue," said Steven Saff Jr., a downtown business owner. Several other speakers described customers who avoid downtown after seeing aggressive panhandling or fights.
Sergeant Scott Jones, the daytime sergeant for the sheriff's substation, said deputies have expanded foot patrols across shifts and can set up…
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