Horrible DPS during events

**tarynd85** · June-28-11, 12:34 AM

I live in the heart of the city. Walking home from a party after the fireworks, I witnessed a fight between a lady and several other people. She had her son with her[[probably about 4 or 5). She was clearly intoxicated. Started to get physical and cause a scene. The poor boy was clueless with no where to turn. I couldn't take anymore, so flagged down an approaching police car. There was about 8 people trying to stop the car...to no dismay. They drove right past. That is when shots were fired. I ran. I never get involved in altercations, but the young boy m
made me feel a need to. I ran and called 911. Took 3 tries to get through. I left after 10 minutes, still unsure if anyone came...but all I know is the young boy was left alone in the street while shots were fired. Until a stranger tried to pull him away. I have NEVER felt unsafe downtown until tonight

**Meddle** · June-28-11, 02:38 AM

And what does DPS have to do with this?

**CLAUDE G** · June-28-11, 03:52 AM

You mean Detroit Public Safety?

**Zacha341** · June-28-11, 05:29 AM

Ummm, DPS has it's share of troubles and needs little more... DO YOU MEAN DPD [[Detroit Police Department)?

Having said that large crowded public events or even being in public at bus stops, malls, shopping is getting to be a bit much. If bullets aren't reigning, then you are captive audience to all kinds of foul talk, inappropriate behavior etc. which is especially horrid when done before or to children. Kudos for you to get involved as you did.

Vox · June-28-11, 08:38 AM

I think the only acronym for DPS in this instance is Dumb People Syndrome.

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-11, 09:28 AM

Reminds me of a story I heard about DPD. Cop said he drives by all kinds of horrible stuff all the time. "Why don't you get out and do something." Cop laughs and says, "I stay in my car. Don't you know it's dangerous out there?"

**tarynd85** · June-28-11, 09:36 AM

Yes I meant DPD. I wrote that from my phone. Detroitnerd, that is exactly what it was like

**Scottathew** · June-28-11, 09:36 AM

Even I can't blame the teachers for this one!

**SWMAP** · June-28-11, 09:44 AM

Do we want them to respond to runs or not? Perhaps we really want them to get distracted on their way to a home invasion or something? Or stop for a fight when a murder has occured?

What exactly do we really want?

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-11, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

Do we want them to respond to runs or not? Perhaps we really want them to get distracted on their way to a home invasion or something? Or stop for a fight when a murder has occured?

What exactly do we really want?

I believe it's reasonable for a cop to make a quick call that he's on the scene of a public disturbance, pass his call back to a competent dispatcher, and handle the immediate problem. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a civilian, right?

**Scottathew** · June-28-11, 10:25 AM

In Warren, if I flagged down a cop car it would stop.

**SWMAP** · June-28-11, 10:36 AM

I think that's unreasonable - to flag down a car. Call 911. What if the officers in question last night had a higher priority run than to break up a fight. Think they do not have the right to delay to stop and call the fight in to radio/dispatch. How many fights might they pass? Unknown to you, of course. You have only your personal perspective.

And by the way - guns are involved in nearly every fight in Detroit lately. They are the switchblades of old. Last night's 14-year-old ill-fated shooter has a gun in a crowd downtown. He is only the tip of the ice-burg of guns in children's hands at this point in our city.

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-11, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I think that's unreasonable - to flag down a car. Call 911. What if the officers in question last night had a higher priority run than to break up a fight. Think they do not have the right to delay to stop and call the fight in to radio/dispatch. How many fights might they pass? Unknown to you, of course. You have only your personal perspective.

Yeah, I had this crazy idea that when a fight breaks out and the police are rolling by, you could flag them down to help preserve the peace. Is that crazy or unreasonable? I don't think so. I'd argue that the majority of people wouldn't think that crazy or unreasonable.

Originally Posted by SWMAP

And by the way - guns are involved in nearly every fight in Detroit lately. They are the switchblades of old. Last night's 14-year-old ill-fated shooter has a gun in a crowd downtown. He is only the tip of the ice-burg of guns in children's hands at this point in our city.

Oh, so since guns are going off everywhere, there's no reason to be disturbed by that? Or to try to get police to the scene in any way possible? Perhaps to expect them to even show up is unreasonable?

SWMAP, the fact that you are implying that people are uninformed or unreasonable to expect a scout car to slow down and stop a fight in progress makes me wonder how much credibility you deserve on this topic.

**SWMAP** · June-28-11, 11:08 AM

Whyever would I have to "deserve" credibility? I am am asking you to think through a protocol for police officers on legitimate runs. You want them to stop for every Tom, Dick & Harry who waves at them? I have old ladies on my street that try to stop scout cars because they have beef with a neighbor. Do you think they should stop for their flag? Of course not. Call 911 and let the professionals prioritze the call.

My point about various gun runs is that they are still high priority - but are not as deeply startling as they used to be. Everyone calling in a gun run doesn't get immediate priority anymore. Guy showing a gun is getting common. Guy shooting [[in the air) getting common. By the time the squad car gets there, guy already gone - very common.

BTW, I have picked up some street knowledge on this issue from my 30 years living in the gritty Junction-Vernor neighborhood, where I hear lots of gunfire [[that ebbs and grows over the years).

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-11, 11:21 AM

Fine, SWMAP. Let's post a poll and ask people whether they think Detroit Police should stop when they're flagged down for a legitimate reason. What do you think the response will be?

**Ray1936** · June-28-11, 11:31 AM

If you experience such a failure for a police car to stop when flagged down, jot down the license plate number or the city code on the side of the car [[it will look something like "082246". The first two digits are the year of the vehicle model). Then write a letter to the Board of Police Commissioners and send a copy to the Chief of Police.

Perhaps today the letter will be ignored, also. But in my day, a thorough investigation would take place. Then again, in my day, we stopped if someone tried to get our attention.

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-11, 11:35 AM

But Ray, don't you know that you're supposed to just call 911? Even if you see a scout car driving by? Sheesh, whatever ...

**SWMAP** · June-28-11, 12:00 PM

Well, there you have it. Write your letter criticising the cops for not stopping when you waved them down and see what response you get. If Ray retired ten years ago or more, he remembers times when there were 5000 sworn officers. Today, its 2800. There are fewer than 100 officers on the streets most nights to answer runs in Detroit.

Next you'll criticise EMS guys for not stopping when someone waves.

**JBMcB** · June-28-11, 12:06 PM

A few years ago I was on the I-94 service drive at Woodward, early Saturday morning. The lady in front of me T-boned a car that *blasted* through a red light. The other car was nearly totaled - the driver OK but the passenger was cut up from the safety glass. So I pulled over to make sure everyone is OK and to give my contact info. for insurance and everything. We call 911 and ask for an ambulance and a cruiser.

The ambulance shows up pretty quick. TWO cruisers drive by going either direction on Woodward - one the cop avoids even looking at the accident [[he looks down the other direction) The other slows down a bit, then keeps going. Keep in mind this was early Saturday morning - Woodward was *dead* and there was nobody around.

I got a call from the poor lady who t-boned the car that ran the red a few weeks later, she was having all kinds of problems with her insurance company as she didn't have a police report. Luckily there were two eyewitnesses [[I was one) and that was enough to clear things up. But, seriously, an accident report takes ten, fifteen minutes maybe? Two cruisers obviously not responding to anything and they don't stop, with an ambulance on scene?

**mikeinmotown** · June-28-11, 12:07 PM

Swamp i couldn't disagree with you more. I want cops to stop when I flag them down period.

DetroitPole · June-28-11, 12:16 PM

I have had good luck flagging down Detroit Police very recently. I am very thankful they did. Someone was having a medical emergency. They get it right sometimes.

**Locke09** · June-28-11, 12:17 PM

If they are already responding to a serious call you would think they would at least have lights on and would be moving in a hurry, not cruising casually.

**SWMAP** · June-28-11, 12:19 PM

We don't know if last night they were cruising casually. Vox said the DPD officers suffered from Dumb people Syndrome, but neglected to assert that they were driving casually

Vox · June-28-11, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

We don't know if last night they were cruising casually. Vox said the DPD officers suffered from Dumb people Syndrome, but neglected to assert that they were driving casually

No, I meant the idiots fighting in the street. The cops were fairly smart in not getting involved with petty bullshit. There's bigger fish to fry here.

**internet_pseudopod** · June-28-11, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Vox

No, I meant the idiots fighting in the street. The cops were fairly smart in not getting involved with petty bullshit. There's bigger fish to fry here.

The OP says that shots were fired soon after cop cars ignored the fight. It is unclear if anyone was injured but if someone was shot it would be a major crime and a black mark against the city of Detroit. Potential for that scenario diminishes if police respond.