Detroit Police Department's abandoned 8th Precinct

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(Gallery by Michael Wayland | mwayland@mlive.com)

Volunteers cleaning up abandoned Detroit police station 25 Gallery: Volunteers cleaning up abandoned Detroit police station

DETROIT- Hundreds of volunteers are cleaning up an abandoned

police station today in hopes the city will reopen it.

The cleanup of the Detroit Police Department's abandoned 8th Precinct, which closed five years ago, was organized jointly by Project 313, Dearborn-based ACCESS and Motor City Blight Busters.

“Our goal is to have this re-established as a precinct,” said John J. George, Blight Busters founder and president. “What we want is for Meijer, the city and the state to figure out how do we renovate this and bring our police officers home. That’s the goal.”

In 2011, Grand Rapids based mega-market chain Meijer was approved for a brownfield tax credit valued at up to $3.3 million to redevelop the old Redford High School site, which is across the street from the former station.

George said the police officers were the “heart of this community,” and since the station closed, crime has increased.

The cleanup started at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to continue through the early afternoon. More than 320 volunteers are expected throughout the day.

Ghida Dagher, an ACCESS spokeswoman, said officials have been organizing the event since November-December as part of the 9th annual National Arab American Service Day, which includes about 2,000 Arab Americans and others in 12 communities across the U.S. volunteering.

"Detroit’s been hit economically, it has a lot of pressures,” she said. “So it was important for us to come out here."

The former 8th precinct, located at Grand River Ave. and McNichols Road on the city’s west side, is in complete disarray with smashed windows and debris everywhere you look.

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