Detroit Daily Local Headlines: Community Safety Office, Clean Slate Funding, Autorama Weekend

Detroit moved quickly this week on public safety and second-chance services, while a major downtown event is gearing up to bring big crowds to Huntington Place.

1) Detroit launches a new office focused on community-led safety

Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the city’s first Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety, aimed at coordinating prevention work that happens outside traditional enforcement. The office is expected to knit together efforts such as conflict mediation, survivor support, domestic violence prevention, re-entry services, and group-violence intervention, with violence-prevention advocate Teferi Brent tapped to lead the work. The executive order creating the office is set to take effect in April.

2) Project Clean Slate gets funding to keep expungements moving

The City of Detroit said Project Clean Slate and the city received a $200,000 Michigan Justice Fund grant to help cover attorney support for expungement hearings over the next two years. City officials said the added legal capacity is meant to keep free services available for Detroit residents and city employees seeking to clear eligible records, a step that can open doors to jobs, housing, and licensing.

3) Autorama weekend brings a big downtown draw (and a benefit angle)

Detroit Autorama returns Feb. 27 through March 1 at Huntington Place, with organizers highlighting a benefit effort supporting Leader Dogs for the Blind. Alongside the show’s custom cars, trucks, bikes, and restorations, the partnership adds a give-back element to one of the region’s best-known late-winter events.

Worth penciling in

A metro events roundup also flags multiple arts-and-culture options heading into the weekend, from live music to dance-focused nights out—useful if you’re planning around the Autorama rush.

Sources

• https://wcsx.com/2026/02/25/detroit-creates-first-office-for-community-led-violence-prevention/
• https://detroitmi.gov/news/city-detroit-project-clean-slate-recipients-2026-michigan-justice-fund-grant-allows-work-continue
• https://www.clickondetroit.com/live-in-the-d/2026/02/25/autorama-weekend-to-give-back-to-leader-dogs-for-the-blind/
• https://wdet.org/2026/02/26/metro-events-guide-feel-the-groove-and-unleash-your-dance-moves-this-week-in-metro-detroit/