Greektown Shootings

**dtowncitylover** · June-23-15, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Dan Wesson

ballet of the sidewalk?

What's that? Cross the street mid-block?

It means everyone on a city block as their role play in the integration, stableness, and make-up of a neighborhood. Everyone from shopkeepers, to seniors, to stay at home moms, to commuters through the neighborhood, etch, etc. This ballet, when done right, stabilizes neighborhoods, inhibits crimes from happening, and makes the neighborhood what it is.

Read the Death and Life of Great American Cities, where the idea comes from.

**Gianni** · June-23-15, 12:35 PM

I was there right after the Saturday shooting and on Friday night around midnight. The one block of Monroe Street has become a "club" scene late at night, there are a couple of clubs, one above Plaka and the other on the deck of Golden Fleece I believe. People waiting in line to get in, huge bouncers. This is even when River Days is not happening. River Days closed at 11 pm. Because the police know that MANY people will go straight to Greektown after River Days closes, there was a massive police presence. On Friday night there were literally police cars parked end to end the entire block of Monroe Street, maybe 15 to 20 police cars. Plus all the officers from those cars plus gang squad plus private security and casino security. Same on Saturday. Even with all that, at about 11:30 pm [[right after River Days let out) apparently one or two dumbasses decided to have a shootout in the middle of the street. A random 18 year old woman was hit in front of 5 Guys, thankfully she survived. The shooter[[s) got away. I was not there Sunday but from what I read it was again around 11:30 after River Days let out, at least this time they took it into the alley, one 19 year old dead the other 21 year old injured, looks like they shot each other but not clear at this point. What I find troubling is that this happened in an area where literally there could not have been more police, yet the criminals are so brazen, or so oblivious to consequences, or so unable to think more than one second into the future, that they start shooting in the middle of a crowded street. And it does not really speak well of the police, especially when the Saturday shooter got away. There are pros and cons to the curfew, I was in favor. There is a reason the police were asking for one. I think most of those against have no idea what kind of scene goes down during River Days [[where they have metal detectors) and after.

**royce** · June-25-15, 01:43 AM

I was down at River Days Saturday and security was ridiculously tight. And it should be so, given what has happened with crowds of young people in the past. The problem lies in the young people who want to start some trouble being able to go to their cars after River Days is over, getting their guns, and then walking over to Greektown to start that trouble. An inevitable fight or shooting is likely to happen given this scenario. The solution can be one of the following: cancel River Days for a year, change the name of the event, or build up all of the parking lots down there with buildings so that there's no more room for a carnival on the river.

Cancelling it for a year might act as a cool down period to give the youth something else to focus on. Given that there are really no more weekly ethnic/riverfront festivals or the Michigan State Fair, River Days is the one summer event where teenagers can go to to be seen. If there is nothing next year, then maybe they'll forget about it and go raise havoc somewhere else.

So now when River Days comes back [[the second solution), it is given a new name. Something like the River Days Hoedown or Country Days on the River might throw them off that first year. It's just a smoke screen solution until the teens figure out its River Days renamed and come back down in droves.

Building up the area with buildings [[the third solution) is my personal favorite. If you get rid of the parking lots, there's no room for a River Days-type carnival. It will clearly put an end to the chaos and violence that surrounds River Days. Ok, problem solved.