DETROIT — Mayor Mike Duggan affirmed his commitment to attracting new residents to Detroit’s neighborhoods, saying that the city has progressed and improved its services over the past months. 

“The services are getting better,” Duggan told The Arab American News in a phone interview. “We are on the right track. We have installed 20,000 street lights. Police response is approaching the national average. People who believe in the city will move in.”

The mayor said he is committed and focused on revitalizing Detroit’s neighborhoods— independently of the developments taking place downtown. 

He highlighted several programs aimed at enhancing the quality of life in the city, including auctioning off abandoned homes, demolishing vacant buildings, rejuvenating the parks and removing graffiti. 

The mayor said he will be soon rolling out an education plan to improve schools in the city. He said schools are crucial to the wellbeing of any community.

Detroit has witnessed two race riots in the past century, along with ongoing tensions among its various ethnic communities. However, Duggan said that racial agitations are becoming a thing of the past. 

“My election suggests that tensions are changing rapidly,” said Duggan, the city’s first White mayor in the majority African American city since Roman Gribbs left office in 1974. “There is growing harmony between the citizens of Detroit. It’s a welcoming climate for everyone.” 

Duggan added that the city council has created an immigration task force to assert Detroit as a welcoming city to newcomers from anywhere in the world. 

The task force, which was approved unanimously by the council in September, consist of elected officials, community leaders and non-profits working together to promote diversity and inclusion in the city. 

Duggan, who took office in January, is a former Wayne County prosecutor and deputy county executive. He was the CEO of the Detroit Medical Center until he launched his mayoral campaign in 2012. 

Asked about the negative portrayal of Detroit in the media, Duggan said the image of the city will be refined automatically when people start moving in and safety and services improve.

“This year, murders in Detroit will be the fewest in four years,” he said. “When the streets are lit, when the police show up on time, when the schools offer good education, the image will take care of itself.” 

The mayor said he is aware of complaints about excessive ticketing at businesses across Detroit. In a meeting with police officials last month, more than 60 gas station owners said their businesses and employees were receiving multiple tickets for the same offense. Duggan said he is addressing the issue with the police and the Buildings, Saftey Engineering and Environmental  Department.