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Detroit council amends truck-traffic enforcement pilot to $550,000 for single-district trial
Summary
After debate about scope and cost, the expanded budget committee on April 1 approved a $550,000 pilot for a truck-traffic enforcement program targeted to District 6, down from an initial $1 million multi-district request; members asked staff to draft schedule language so the funding would not increase net police headcount outside existing vacancies.
The expanded budget committee voted April 1 to fund a $550,000 one-time pilot to test truck-traffic enforcement in District 6, trimming an original $1 million multi-district proposal after members sought a smaller, testable deployment.
Council member Gabriela Santiago Romero moved to reduce the request to $550,000 and focus on District 6; the amendment passed after discussion about pilot sizing and fiscal framing. Council member Johnson and others said a smaller pilot would let the city assess equipment, training and revenue generation before expanding to other districts.
Administration representatives indicated the pilot could be framed so the Detroit Police Department could absorb implementation within existing vacancies in fiscal year 2027, limiting net new operating costs in the department’s baseline. The administration said it would work with Santiago Romero’s office and council staff to write Schedule B language to reflect that framing so the item would not be recorded as an unconditional net add to the police budget.
Members asked for closing-resolution language that would commit the city to pilot evaluation and to consider subsequent rollouts based on data — traffic volumes, pedestrian impacts and enforcement yield. Proponents argued a data-driven pilot would allow the city to prioritize districts by need and to scale the program later without overcommitting resources up front.
The committee recessed to allow staff time to draft precise language and updated spreadsheets, with members agreeing to continue the discussion when the meeting reconvenes.
