DETROIT – Gov. Rick Snyder, Mayor Dave Bing, and city and state law enforcement and criminal justice officials today opened a new central detention center created through a unique collaboration aimed at enhancing public safety for the citizens of Detroit.

Creation of the Detroit Detention Center (DDC) on the grounds of the former Mound Correctional Facility will allow for the closure of five city lockups operated by the Detroit Police Department (DPD) and will free up 40 to 50 police officers for street patrols.

The DDC at Mound Road and E. Davison in Detroit will be operated by the Michigan Department of Corrections under an interagency agreement with the city of Detroit. The collaborative effort will establish one central lockup within the city of Detroit, decreasing transportation costs and increasing efficiency for processing arrestees and conducting court arraignments. It will serve as an initial detention center for anyone arrested in the city and will house up to 200 detainees.

Some minor renovations to the former Mound Correctional Facility have been completed and the DDC will begin accepting arrestees on Monday, Aug. 5, 2013.

“This unique and innovative partnership will enhance public safety and create a more efficient criminal justice system in Detroit,” the governor said. “Safe communities are essential to economic recovery and this exceptional city and state collaboration will help drive the continued turnaround of our largest city, which is critical to making Michigan great again.”

“This partnership agreement between the city and the state is a significant one that will allow Detroit police officers currently assigned to the lockups to return to neighborhood patrols,” Bing said. “In addition, this new arrangement will improve the conditions for police detainees, which is an important aspect of DPD’s restructuring plan and could have a favorable impact on the city’s consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.”

“We are excited to be a part of this very special joint venture that will maximize government resources to create a safer Detroit,” said MDOC Director Daniel H. Heyns. “This relationship will provide improved services to the citizens of Detroit by allowing both of our agencies to do what we do best and returning additional police officers to neighborhood patrols.”

The state previously closed the Mound Correctional Facility in January 2012.