Detroit Police Request $1.9M for Truck Enforcement Unit as Traffic Complaints Surge
The Detroit Police Department wants $1.9 million to build a citywide truck traffic enforcement unit. Officer Drew Battersby pitched the idea to Mayor Mary Sheffield and the City Council, hoping…
The Detroit Police Department wants $1.9 million to build a citywide truck traffic enforcement unit. Officer Drew Battersby pitched the idea to Mayor Mary Sheffield and the City Council, hoping to secure money in the 2026-27 budget.
Battersby said fees from commercial freight trucks would pay for six officers in year one. Over five years, revenue could reach somewhere between $5.4 million and $13.5 million.
Three officers in marked vehicles would patrol the west side. Three more would work the east side. Battersby said some streets in residential areas see 1,000 trucks every single day.
Complaints from citizens about trucks jumped 90% over the past five years, according to Battersby. The unit would reduce crashes involving reckless motor carrier trucks and make sure drivers follow traffic laws.
District 6 Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero said more police would help enforce new rules that keep commercial freight trucks out of residential neighborhoods in Southwest Detroit.
"It's made a huge difference," Santiago-Romero said according to Bridge Detroit. "We've reduced (trucks on residential streets) about 70% but we still have hundreds of trucks. That's still too many."
City Freight Specialist Augusta Gudeman said commercial trucks are tearing up roads. Fee revenue could support speed humps and intersection upgrades.
The city expects to see daily truck traffic climb from 18,000 to 20,000 when the Gordie Howe International Bridge opens. Battersby said the new crossing will accept hazmat trucks that currently have to drive an hour past the city to reach the Blue Water Bridge.
District 7 Council Member Denzel McCampbell said his constituents worry about trucks idling overnight and harming air quality. The city lacks a citywide ordinance to limit truck movement but does prohibit commercial trucks from parking on residential streets.
Dearborn, Taylor, Redford, and Livonia all run truck enforcement units. They bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
