Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department
We enforce the law to make sure opportunity is always fair.
The Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO) Department, formerly known as the Human Rights Department, was created by the 1974 City Charter to replace the Commission on Community Relations, and is the oldest municipal civil rights agency in the country. The Department's roles include administering the Language Access Program, Skilled Trades Employment Program, the Detroit Business Opportunity Program, and the Construction Workforce Diversity Program.
Among managing the mentioned programs, the Department is also tasked with investigating complaints of workplace violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination of the protected classes. The Detroit City Code Chapter 27 charges the CRIO Department with the authority and duty to investigate incidents of unlawful discrimination and harassment that occur within the City.
The Department likewise is responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Through their funding, CRIO works to create opportunities for the community by ensuring Detroit residents are represented on projects that have received funding regulated by the City of Detroit. Its responsibilities continue to expand as new opportunities to achieve its mission are developed and implemented, and as the department is charged with new responsibilities.