Accountability For Dearborn Offers Free Brake Light Repairs This Saturday

(CBS Detroit) — Volunteers with the group Accountability for Dearborn are offering free brake light check-ups this Saturday.

Accountability for Dearborn is a group of Dearborn residents who are working towards action and accountability in the city to make it a safe place for Black residents, students, employees, and visitors.

According to Accountability for Dearborn, offering a free Brake Light Repair Clinic shows community resources being used to help residents, addressing minor car issues as a safety concern, not a punishment.

The Dearborn Police citations data show that between 2010 and 2020, roughly 11% of all citations were due to equipment violations, such as a defective tail light, with roughly 48% of those citations given to Black motorists. Citations like this are a $120 fine, which is more than the cost of fixing a brake light.

Proactively fixing minor mechanical issues on cars is essential to avoid these situations of getting pulled over and getting citations.

Event Details:

• The event will take place on Saturday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Accountability for Dearborn volunteers will hold the event in the parking lot of the Dearborn First Methodist Church.
• Motorists will be able to have their brakes assessed and replaced. It is free and open to the public.

The event's location is intentional, as the parking lot is right next to the Clara Snow Branch Library, which closed. Between 2007 and 2011, the Clara Snow Branch Library, the city's health department, and 35% of its non-emergency staff were all cut to address a budget deficit caused by minimum staffing provisions for the Police and Fire Departments in the city charter.

Investing in the safety of Dearborn residents can help support a healthier city. Accountability for Dearborn explained that this year presents the once-a-decade opportunity for the city to amend its charter, eliminating the minimum staffing provision and changing the way we make major investments from the general fund.

For more information, visit https://www.accountabilityfordearborn.org.

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