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Major Power Outage Affects Detroit Police, Schools
Students Released Early Monday

POSTED: 11:33 am EDT June 7, 2004
UPDATED: 12:24 pm EDT June 7, 2004

DETROIT -- A power outage in Detroit Monday has reportedly affected the Detroit Police Department and about 40 Detroit Public Schools, according to city officials.

Detroit Police Department officials said the precincts on the west side are involved in the outage. Police said the outage is not affecting emergency-response time.

The outage has affected the 2nd Precinct, 6th Precinct, 8th Precinct, 10th Precinct and 12th Precinct, which is currently running on a generator, Local 4 learned. There are also conflicting reports about the 4th Precinct's status.

School officials told Local 4 that students in the elementary and middle schools will be released to their parents, and students who are not picked up will be sent home on school buses as scheduled. High school students are being dismissed, the station learned at noon.

"We'll make sure the children are well-cared for," school representative Mattie Majors said about children whose parents cannot get to the schools.

Majors also encouraged parents to establish a buddy system in picking up their children.

Local 4 has learned that DTE Energy customers are not affected by the outage and that the source appears to stem from a problem with the Detroit Public Lighting Department.

"We'll make sure the children are well-cared for."
- Mattie Majors, Detroit Public Schools

To report lights out with the Detroit Public Lighting Department, call (313) 224-0500.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's office is expected to have a briefing on the outage just after noon.

Local 4's Shawn Ley is headed to the mayor's office. Stay with ClickOnDetroit.com and Local First News for the latest developments.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/3390254/detail.html