Border City Crime: Ferndale Phramacy Robbed Twice - Closing

[Zacha341]

Ferndale Pharmacy Closing after Violent Robbery

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...-20110713-wpms

[oldredfordette]

Which pharmacy? I don't click on those stupid links any more [[don't need a commercial this morning, thanks).

[lilpup]

The one on Nine Mile west of Woodward that took the place of F&M.

[Bham1982]

Ferndale should close and dead-end all residential streets leading to 8 Mile, the way they do in much of the Pointes along Mack.

Limit access to Woodward and Livernois, and then patrol the hell out of those corridors.

Make it very clear that Ferndale isn't friendly or welcoming to all. If you're there for business or pleasure, that's great, but if you don't have a purpose, you aren't welcome.

It isn't nice or egalitarian, but the city's long-term vitality depends on this.

[corktownyuppie]

Ferndale should close and dead-end all residential streets leading to 8 Mile, the way they do in much of the Pointes along Mack.

Limit access to Woodward and Livernois, and then patrol the hell out of those corridors.

Make it very clear that Ferndale isn't friendly or welcoming to all. If you're there for business or pleasure, that's great, but if you don't have a purpose, you aren't welcome.

It isn't nice or egalitarian, but the city's long-term vitality depends on this.

Yeah, I don't think being nice/egalitarian takes a higher priority than controlling access and making a place more secure. There was some backlash when Palmer Woods announced their private security force.

I don't get it. When crime has gotten to this point, people should *want* better security, not fight it. Let's quit fighting our Vietnam-era fights about establishment vs. the individual. No one is advocating that police "shoot first, ask questions later". Routing all traffic through one central point and then securing the hell out of that point serves everybody.

[majohnson]

Trying to seal off the city is one idea.

Perhaps consider that the suspects in this crime have an established criminal past that includes murder.
Perhaps if we dealt with the people we know are murderers etc. we wouldn't have to treat everyone south of 8 Mile like potential threats.

[Danny]

There was another border city robbery occured at Redford TWP. just days ago. A gang of young black kids who raided the 8th grade party at a VFW banquent hall went to a gas station, made a ruckus and ran off. Redford Police captured 3 suspects. They are look for others.

Now all you see folks. Where the best stuff in Detroit is gone, the best stuff will be in the suburbs. Where robberies reduce in the ghettoes, the robberies will increase the suburbs. This would prompt fear to white folks who are living just blocks up to 3 miles away from Detroit's border. [[ even when most blacks families have are already left Detroit to the suburbs every 20 minutes, thinking that better life is waiting for them, they bring their ghetto elements with them.)

These gang of black kids must either came from broken homes or lost a mother ot father figure or came from single parents. Growing up very tough in the ghettoes and consuming mental poisons from their pears. Tearing up a local gas station is their way of rebellion against a structered American society. They are ready to become instant thugs into a life of crime, prison or death. That's if they wanted to.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

When Coleman A. Young to every crooks and thieves to hit 8 Mile Rd. they did!

Neda, I miss you so.

[Detroitej72]

Limit access to Woodward and Livernois, and then patrol the hell out of those corridors..

Right, limit access to Woodward and 9 Mile, and see how fast those businesses loose their clientele. What a great idea.

If you're there for business or pleasure, that's great, but if you don't have a purpose, you aren't welcome.

You want folks banned from driving around a city for no other purpose than a pleasant Sunday drive? Isn't this still America, land of the free?

[Danny]

There's already a wall not made of wood or concrete, but by mentality. It seperates the ghettoes and from the neighborhoods, cities from its suburbs and black from whites.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

You all can go hit 20 Mile Rd now.

Neda, I miss you so.

[Bham1982]

Right, limit access to Woodward and 9 Mile, and see how fast those businesses loose their clientele. What a great idea.

Well this pharmacy is now closed, so the current scenario obviously isn't working. Lots of retail vacancies in Ferndale.

And you're assuming that Ferndale's vitality is largely based on easy access from Detroit. Is Ferndale helped or harmed by its Detroit border? Debatable.

I can tell you that Ferndale struggles much more than the other Woodward corridor communities. I think the Detroit border plays a role.

You want folks banned from driving around a city for no other purpose than a pleasant Sunday drive? Isn't this still America, land of the free?

This is absurd, and I never advocated this. Everyone with a purpose should be welcome in Ferndale, regardless of race or class.

But the city needs to make it clear that it isn't an easy mark, cops are omnipresent, and loiterers are given the boot. GP has done this. The alternative is that Ferndale looks like ghettoish South Warren in 10 years.

[corktownyuppie]

Right, limit access to Woodward and 9 Mile, and see how fast those businesses loose their clientele. What a great idea.

In limiting access to Woodward and 9 Mile, I'm assuming the original writer meant that access to Ferndale should be limited so that the only way to get there is through Woodward and 9 Mile...not that access to Woodward and 9 Mile should be limited so that it's inaccessible. That was my interpretation at least.

You want folks banned from driving around a city for no other purpose than a pleasant Sunday drive? Isn't this still America, land of the free?

I don't have a problem with people driving around the city...that 9 Mile/Woodward area will [[and should) attract cruise-by traffic. But those residential streets that just empty out on to 8 Mile Rd probably don't need unlimited access. I hate the cul-de-sac design of the modern suburb...but the one thing it does very well is limit street access only to those who live on that block or who are visiting people there. And by limiting access, it creates an extra net of safety.

We can have the best of both worlds.

[iheartthed]

Has there been an uptick in pharmacies being robbed in the Detroit area lately? There was a high profile pharmacy robbery on Long Island about a month ago that was similar to this story [[except that everybody in the incident on Long Island was murdered).

[rjk]

There was a story just yesterday in the paper about a doctor who got busted for giving out prescriptions for pills that were eventually sold on the street.

I wonder what the drug of choice is on the streets? It sure seems like prescription drugs are becoming more and more popular.

[majohnson]

I currently still live in Royal Oak.
We get a lot of walkers in downtown RO. People just milling about because they find pleasure in a social atmosphere. The same thing happens in Ferndale. Is that the loitering you speak of?

North Detroiters play a significant role in supporting Western Fruit Market, Food Patch, and Save a Lot at the least.

[pffft]

That Fox2 "story" doesn't even say the name of the "Ferndale pharmacy" -- those links are worse than nothing.

[rencense]

Seems like i've heard of a lot of robberies in ferndale this year.

I wish them the best of luck but it does show how elusive "safety" can be. I know someone who recently paid a large amount [[at least i thought it was) for a house in ferndale because it was considered so safe.

I think ferndale will be ok if it stays a hot spot BUT if it stops being a hot place to live or they start having to lay off police then all bets are off and it could become a spruced up warren in no time. The criminals are expanding their territory and it'll take good police work to keep it in check.

[ferndalien]

It was called "Ferndale Pharmacy" Not that the Fox report was any good, but technically they did give the name.

Something appears a bit odd about this second theft - the perps took everything. Literally - check the photos on the patch article [[ http://ferndale.patch.com/articles/t...#photo-6990785 ). Lot of street demand for antibiotics, prescription laxatives?

[Jimg]

Actually, it was called "Ferndale Pharmacy" but just changed to "Super Value Pharmacy." I did business there and wondered about the security of the place. It's a small narrow building, easy to see the entire front area from the front door. Directly across the street from CVS. I don't recall the F&M being in that location, either. F&M was closer to Woodward on the north side of 9 Mile.
I was surprised that another pharmacy would open directly across from a CVS, but they seemed to do quite a good business.

[ferndalien]

... BUT if it stops being a hot place to live or they start having to lay off police then all bets are off ....

Hi there rencense, you and your [[and my) neighbors recently voted to pay a little more to maintain the current police staffing levels in Ferndale. The Ferndale 115 website also just published the police annual report [[see http://ferndale115.com/nuevo/wp-cont...erndale115.pdf), so you can see the stats for crime in the city. Robberies and burglaries were up in 2010 over 2009, but I'm guessing that's not totally unique to Ferndale.

[CountrySquire]

"The owner thought he'd be able to make it past this, but Wednesday morning his store was broken into again. This time no one was inside, but he says he's done."

Hmmm, I wonder how CVS mitigates these risks? I've not seen any of those shutting down due to crime. There's at least five CVSs within a couple miles of his store.

[Bigb23]

Something appears a bit odd about this second theft - the perps took everything. Literally - check the photos on the patch article [[ http://ferndale.patch.com/articles/t...#photo-6990785 ).

This is why I read Dyes all the time - links like this. I never would have found the list of patch communities on my own. I now have bookmarked the Rochester/Rochester Hills and the Oakland Twp. patch sites, which have very good articles. Thanks!

[ragnarok1981]

Ferndale already takes an aggressive stance towards anyone who they view as "outsiders" and often that means anyone of color. Whenever I am driving on woodward through ferndale and I see more than one cop car stopping a vehicle it is almost always a black driver. There is clearly a bias among the police toward the black community, even if they are not from Detroit. Now I see people on here that are essentially calling for everyone to be searched if they are coming from Detroit. So how about we just put up a wall around Detroit and set up check points where each person will be searched. The idea that you can cut off access and prevent crime is stupid. You may make it a bit more difficult for the criminal but if they are determined then they will get through. Unless you address the causes of why the criminals turn to crime then you will never stop crime. Yes there are people who will be criminals no matter what, but I think a majority of criminals became what they are as a result of society rather than nature.

[Bham1982]

The idea that you can cut off access and prevent crime is stupid.

Well it's certainly worked in the Pointes. Even one block from Mack the Pointes remain very safe. And right across the street sits one of the worst, most crime-ridden hoods in Detroit.

Ferndale is kind of a tough town to figure. I can't tell which way it's headed.

On the one hand, downtown used to be seedy and half-empty. It's now quite vibrant, at least at night. And there's definitely a hipster and young professional element. Folks seem to be making investments and putting down roots.

On the other hand, Ferndale east of Woodward looks pretty trashy to me. Neighborhoods south of 9 are worse than north of 9. The schools suck.

[Detroitnerd]

Ferndale should close and dead-end all residential streets leading to 8 Mile, the way they do in much of the Pointes along Mack.

Limit access to Woodward and Livernois, and then patrol the hell out of those corridors.

Make it very clear that Ferndale isn't friendly or welcoming to all. If you're there for business or pleasure, that's great, but if you don't have a purpose, you aren't welcome.

It isn't nice or egalitarian, but the city's long-term vitality depends on this.

You have just passed 10,000 points on DetroitYES! and have earned your reactionary suburban wall-builder badge. Please report to the corner of Park and Sproat at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning to pick it up. You might consider wearing a tux. Please come alone.

[ferntruth]

The one on Nine Mile west of Woodward that took the place of F&M.

It was the small independent pharmacy across 9 Mile from CVS. I never used their services [[my company uses a mail order pharmacy), but I still hate to see one more empty building in Ferndale.

Some of these comments about sealing off streets at 8 Mile, etc. are a bit disturbing. Those arrested for the first robbery included individuals who lived in Oak Park - should we seal off 9 mile at the Ferndale/Oak Park border too?