Be careful at the Packard Plant! More assaults, thefts

**wolverine** · August-13-12, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

The issue is residents don't have an entitlement to public safety, why should people who are in town to knowingly break the law and tresspass?

I said I'd be taking photos from a public street. According to other posters I'd likely receive the same level of protection as residents. I just want to be sure Detroiters are okay with visitors that come into town and Don't break any laws.

**Mark Smiles** · August-13-12, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

You may be entitled to safety but you won't receive any just like a city resident. That is the point of most of the comments about staying away and not using up what little resources that are left in the city.

What caused the use of resources, the person visiting the property, or the person who broke into the car?

The person visiting could come and go and not cost the city a penny.

The person who broke into the car is responsible for the use of the resources, after all, he did not have to break into the car.

**Danny** · August-13-12, 05:07 PM

When you have a car in Detroit, it would be stolen in 9 seconds, in a flash. In Detroit you can turn your head for 9 seconds and a theif will rob you from behind by sticking its knife or a gun into your thoat demanding your valuables. That's how it in the ghetto. BE SAFE and be cafeful when going to familiar areas.

**softailrider** · August-13-12, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

If the Packard Plant was in Troy, would Ms Johnson feel the same freedom/ entitlement to go into it, smash crap, take ironic pictures, and leave?

Troy has a version of the Packard Plant, on a lesser scale. It's called Kresge, on Big Beaver and Coolidge. It's been empty for years, you couldn't get in there though, it's pretty well secured.

**rex** · August-13-12, 06:45 PM

We don't have law education in merica. Perhaps we should, incarceration rates are higher here than anywhere. Regardless, when buildings are wide open and there aren't any signs is it still trespassing?

GUSHI · August-13-12, 06:46 PM

A lot of you people make no sense, blame the victim, so I live in Shelby if I go to Detroit I deserve to be victimized, you people make no sense, that why the city is so fucked up,

**rex** · August-13-12, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Troy has a version of the Packard Plant, on a lesser scale. It's called Kresge, on Big Beaver and Coolidge. It's been empty for years, you couldn't get in there though, it's pretty well secured.

How about that massive empty series of buildings at the border of Bloomfield and Pontiac?

**Django** · August-13-12, 07:14 PM

Just yesterday I brought a film crew working for National Geographic to the Packard. I had some friends meet me there and paid them to stay with us as there is safety in numbers. It wasnt until one of them told me about a couple of recent robberies. If I would have known I would have brought more serious backup as the crew had some pretty serious equipment. We didnt go inside, they just did several outdoor shots. Everything went smooth and had no problems thank god. We did run into two other cars of photographers that day. Dont know if they had any problems.
I knew it would come to this. Ive always seen a lot of folks with pretty nice equipment, was only a matter of time before thugs would be preying on folks. Theres so many ways to get in and out of that place, its easy pickins for a theif.

**Richard** · August-13-12, 07:52 PM

You really have to give the people living on the east side credit,years of the city laying the neighborhood to waste and now wanting to make it all a forest.

And then you have this,how can anyone in that area have piece of mind not knowing who and from where people are coming from as they bring these crimes of opportunity down on them.It is one thing to go in stealthy pop some pics and disappear but lately it has gotten to the point of stupidity.

When you publicly go and do stupid things like pushing a truck off of building and post on the internet that you had to go home a get a sledge hammer to bust the wall out to get it over the next day it just shows the blatant disregard to those in the city, its fun at somebodies else expense .

I guess people are starting to realize either through the courts or urban experiences like this the city is fast becoming no longer the personal playground of many who wish to disrespect.

There are many business opening,historical tours,a wealth of architectural history ,check some of that out,enjoy what the city has to offer instead of being a potential burden on your host. It is really not that hard and much safer in a positive way.

**Hamtragedy** · August-13-12, 08:39 PM

See. After all this, the Packard Plant has finally become an amusement park. At the very least it is an attraction, and becoming a major one at that.

Sit two cop cars out in front and have the cops write tickets, that's the warning, and the admission. Generate revenue at the same time. You wanna go in, here's your ticket, now go away, and if we see you again, we'll give you another ticket.

It's a Detroit style win-win for everybody. Bring the whole family.

**jt1** · August-13-12, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by GUSHI

A lot of you people make no sense, blame the victim, so I live in Shelby if I go to Detroit I deserve to be victimized, you people make no sense, that why the city is so fucked up,

My god you're reading comprehension is horrible. If you live in Shelby and you go into Detroit to break the law you shouldn't whine while you are victimized in the process. Same goes for Detroiters.

I'll summarize my thoughts so it gets through to you.

1. If you are victimized in the city while committing a crime I have no sympathy for you and don't wnat the cops to waste their time helping you. This applies to suburban and city residents. The difference is city residents don't go whining to the paper or complain how bad the city is because they can't safely break the law.

2. If you are in the city and not committing a crime I would hope that the police would be there to protect you and hope that you are not the victim of a crime. This applies to city residents and anybody else, regardless of where they live.

Unfortunately, the police may not be able to respond to the people in [[2) because they are busy taking calls about the poor people that are [[1).

I hope that is clear enough for you.

**Lowell** · August-13-12, 09:45 PM

Take a breath everybody.

If you go to Packard or any other ruin site, you go at your own risk. I think everybody pretty much knows that and I have never heard anybody saying they should expect protection or sympathy. If they don't they must have just fallen off the turnip wagon.

As for the original post and headline, I find it rather hyperbolic. Only two crimes, one a not untypical smash and grab, the other a very vague and unverified attack, are cited. From the headline one would be led to believe there is a major crime wave occurring at the property. There isn't.

It is no more safe/dangerous than anywhere else in that part of town. If anything it is safer now because there are so many tourists around. The main risk is the structure, asbestos, and other hazards. The rewards are some of the most stunning and revealing vistas one will ever see.

**Goose** · August-13-12, 10:24 PM

if your lucky you might find a banksy or other precious piece of art in there....

**wolverine** · August-13-12, 11:07 PM

My only reason to post was to see what people's reactions are regarding tourists coming into town to see abandoned ruins, but never going in these buildings I realize people go inside more often than not. But there's also quite the number of us that just want to drive by and check it out because we love old buildings and history.

I believe the people here are reasonable enough to be accepting of the people's desires to see them, but I completely sympathize that residents would be upset when they see visitors coming to town and breaking laws...doing what they see fit.

This isn't something unusual. Visitors treat the places they visit differently than residents everywhere. My building is in a tourist hotspot, and I can't tell you how many times our lobby staff downstairs had to deal with unruly drunken tourists from out-of-state and internationally that will barge into lobby demanding to use the restroom and will sometime get in arguments with our doorman. We've had to call the police on drunken tourists from time to time. That requires two officers in a squad car, police time, and taxpayer money. So spare me the story that this is using up police resources. No kidding more people entering the city requires more municipal services on all levels.

**WaCoTS** · August-13-12, 11:49 PM

Breaking news! the ghetto is dangerous! WTF? really, this is a news article?

the sooner the naive mall kids lose interest in the Packard the better.

**Gannon** · August-14-12, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by WaCoTS

Breaking news! the ghetto is dangerous! WTF? really, this is a news article?

the sooner the naive mall kids lose interest in the Packard the better.

As far as I can tell, little Emily got exactly the same level of attention and service from both the perps and the cops that folks in the city get.

She just had higher expectations.

Cheers!
John

**laphoque** · August-14-12, 04:18 AM

Emily does sound full of her self when she says she won't be going back there again. It's a vacant factory that is decaying into ruin. It's not a local restaurant and you're not giving a Yelp review. Nobody cares if you are there or not. Except apparently the person who saw you hide your valuables in the trunk.

Whereas yes, people should be able to take pictures from a sidewalk in Detroit in peace, most of the city does not have enough public safety to respond to the current call volume. That is why all the cities in Metro Detroit should be dissolved and public safety should be allocated as needed. Therefore the bored cops of Troy could have handled her case.

**Searay215** · August-14-12, 04:40 AM

What I find curious is that we are on a site that the founder/author/photographer, is in the words of so many on here a law breaker, unless he had permission from all the owners of all the buildings photographed, which I doubt......and yet we all don't mind being a party to it. Sort of makes those who apposed this behavior that are posting on this site hipocrites. IMHO

Two words......Open Carry!!!

**Zacha341** · August-14-12, 06:24 AM

Well stated. Yelp review indeed!

Originally Posted by laphoque

Emily does sound full of her self when she says she won't be going back there again. It's a vacant factory that is decaying into ruin. It's not a local restaurant and you're not giving a Yelp review. Nobody cares if you are there or not. Except apparently the person who saw you hide your valuables in the trunk.

**Zacha341** · August-14-12, 06:27 AM

Or something in a state of decomp. No thank you...

Originally Posted by Goose

if your lucky you might find a banksy or other precious piece of art in there....

**Zacha341** · August-14-12, 06:29 AM

Two more words: Hard Hat.... one more, a good Respirator. I'd not want to breath in the stuff of many of these ruins.

Originally Posted by Searay215

What I find curious is that we are on a site that the founder/author/photographer, is in the words of so many on here a law breaker, unless he had permission from all the owners of all the buildings photographed, which I doubt......and yet we all don't mind being a party to it. Sort of makes those who apposed this behavior that are posting on this site hipocrites. IMHO

Two words......Open Carry!!!

**Zacha341** · August-14-12, 06:40 AM

Hilarious post HT! --

-- Don't forget the respirators and hard hats folks. Fun for the whole family!!

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

....Sit two cop cars out in front and have the cops write tickets, that's the warning, and the admission. Generate revenue at the same time. You wanna go in, here's your ticket, now go away, and if we see you again, we'll give you another ticket.

It's a Detroit style win-win for everybody. Bring the whole family.

**noise** · August-14-12, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

My god you're reading comprehension is horrible. If you live in Shelby and you go into Detroit to break the law you shouldn't whine while you are victimized in the process. Same goes for Detroiters.

I'll summarize my thoughts so it gets through to you.

1. If you are victimized in the city while committing a crime I have no sympathy for you and don't wnat the cops to waste their time helping you. This applies to suburban and city residents. The difference is city residents don't go whining to the paper or complain how bad the city is because they can't safely break the law.

2. If you are in the city and not committing a crime I would hope that the police would be there to protect you and hope that you are not the victim of a crime. This applies to city residents and anybody else, regardless of where they live.

Unfortunately, the police may not be able to respond to the people in [[2) because they are busy taking calls about the poor people that are [[1).

I hope that is clear enough for you.

Hopefully it's clear enough for you that this is pretty absurd. Your posts are nothing more than victim blaming.

**neavling** · August-14-12, 08:01 AM

The city won't do anything because it CAN'T do anything. Nor will the owner. It's a pathetic situation, really. Here's the second part of the series about the Packard: http://is.gd/SQ8eVh

**Richard** · August-14-12, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by neavling

The city won't do anything because it CAN'T do anything. Nor will the owner. It's a pathetic situation, really. Here's the second part of the series about the Packard: http://is.gd/SQ8eVh

Was that the whole purpose of this thread?
Promoting another blog sensationalizing Packard by using non facts to make it look good.

The property description for Packard is over 100 pages long it was never combined into one,so the city would have to file multiple foreclosures and any one piece could put a wrench in the process.and add years.

Even if they did last year they paid on the average of $30,000 to $60,000 just in tripped on a sidewalk crack suits,imagine what a gold mine Packard would be.