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Detroit Project Green Light logo

Detroit officials are looking to propose a law that would require businesses open past 10 p.m. to participate in a shared surveillance program with police.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig on Monday said he'd support a law that would make it mandatory for business open late to install high-definition cameras with live feeds accessible to the police department.

Launched in 2016, Project Green Light has had more than 120 Detroit businesses sign up and purchase the equipment necessary to participate.

The program website lists costs at $4,000 to $6,000 to get the equipment installed, including $450 for a green light and $650 for signs announcing the presence of live camera streams.

The video feeds directly to the Detroit Police Real-Time Crime Center, which is monitored at all times.

The police chief referenced the program at a press conference Monday about the Sunday night shooting of an off-duty Detroit police officer outside a liquor store.

Craig said video footage reviewed by police was grainy and low quality. Had the cameras been the quality required by Project Greenlight, he said they could have clearly read the license plate on the suspect's vehicle and identified the registered owner.

"I think it is fair" to force participation, Craig said.

" ... To me, being a good neighbor is creating a safe environment within the neighborhood. That's why we created Green Light ... It's a signal to the neighbors: This is a safe place."

Craig said crime in and around Green Light locations is "almost nonexistent."

Crime reports declined 50 percent at the first eight Green Light locations after cameras and lights were installed, police said.

Councilman Andrew Spivey is working with Detroit police to draft the ordinance.

He hopes to have an ordinance put forth for a vote by September and implementation would be staggered by Zip code or council district, Spivey told George Hunter of the Detroit News.