MisHandled Food Stamp Fraud Raid 09172013

[Gannon]

There really HAD to be a better way to do this than the overwhelming show of force blocking off an entire block around Gratiot Central Market this morning. What a clusterfuck.

Hoping the news media picks up on this, but I saw NOBODY covering it from the majors.

WTF?!

They had Russell Street COMPLETELY closed off, which gave the Crain's folk only one way into their complex. Gratiot down to one lane, in RUSH HOUR...what a bunch of stupid fucking dorks. Sorry. This was lame-brained to the max.

Word is it was a raid over foodstamp fraud, but I've no confirmation yet. The smiling officer who dropped into Zeff's to use the facilities was deftly obfuscatory. He seemed happy to be serving and protecting the populace from the abject danger at hand.

[Gannon]

This is bigger than it appears. They've got Ftoni Meats and Detroit Produce also shut down...and all easy southern exits from the market closed off. Doesn't seem to be anything to the north, looks like Wigley's is ok...and that great produce guy kiddie-corner from Sala Thai. Always liked that guy. I'm not surprised that both he and Pam are not a part of this crap.

[ddaydetroit]

With what I pay in taxes that goes to waste by these slim buckets let them use a little show of force to make a statement

[Gannon]

On the drive out to Southfield, I realized they might've been saving themselves the difficulty of shutting down and cleaning up after a civil insurrection. There WERE a bunch of people massing in the parking lot. Some were angry. Hell, I was angry...but for the reasons spelled out above. More than a few walking the other way on Russell looked like they might've been moreso disappointed than riotous.

They had the perimeter covered quite well with roadblocks and surveillance...heck, there was one Detroit car hiding in the lot in back of Roma Cafe...with a nice view south into the melee forming near Ftoni. There were more than a few people milling about. I'm betting some restaurant owners are going to lose money today if they had their accounts at any of these establishments.

I'm sure they did it on Tuesday because of the nice witnesses they could have with Eastern Market's feature day. The CostCo tent had a bird's-eye view, wonder what stories they'll be telling at their dinner tables?! [[why is CostCo in Eastern Market, anyways?!)

This could have been done between six and eight on Monday, swiftly and efficiently gathering all the data they would need for prosecution. All of these businesses open at six or seven, and their people are there as early as four.

[NoHeartAnthony]

We're getting upset at police enforcing laws and making sure money is stolen as a result of federally funded programs? It made you a little late to work, big deal.

[Gannon]

It isn't their enforcing, it is the execution of such.

So, if this was a federal program, why were mostly State and City officers involved?! I'd say Snyder and Orr wanted to send another message to the populace!

[Gannon]

Oddly, I didn't see a Sheriff badge in the lot of 'em. Benny knows where his bread gets buttered!

[Gannon]

Too funny, I just checked the news sites, and Channel 4's picture was taken JUST as I drove by Gratiot Central Market. I was going to joke about the State Cop posing for a photo shoot...but didn't realize the woman was working for the news. You can see him just behind the light pole, but from my vantage point it looked all the world like he was posing. I'd SWEAR she shot it with a SmartPhone!

You can see my car in the reflection of the Gratiot Central Market front door, safely following that bad-ass motorcycle. The instant after this picture was taken, I changed lanes to turn onto Russell...and some jerk tried to race around me and honked his horn. THEN noticed all the cops at the intersection, and backed off. Heh.

[Gannon]

Channel 4 claims Homeland Security was involved, but if this was the case...they were f'in' INVISIBLE!

[NoHeartAnthony]

Food stamps are a federal program, are they not?

Maybe they didn't gather all their necessary information until yesterday, and today was the earliest day that they could strike.

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...-investigation

"Among the agencies taking part in the investigation are Michigan State Police, the USDA, Homeland Security and the Detroit Police Department."

[Gannon]

Curious they don't have another enforcement arm other than Homeland Insecurity. Curious this is part of their purview, actually. I certainly felt more secure.

But I only saw Detroit and Michigan State officers on site at ANY of the surrounded buildings and/or blockaded streets.

[motz]

Food stamps are a federal program, are they not?

Maybe they didn't gather all their necessary information until yesterday, and today was the earliest day that they could strike.

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...-investigation

"Among the agencies taking part in the investigation are Michigan State Police, the USDA, Homeland Security and the Detroit Police Department."

Its a federal program administered at the State level. Therefore MSP, as well as the USDA [[who runs the Bridge Card program [see the Farm Bill controversey]) and most likely Homeland Security if any money was being laundered.

This sucks, but if crooks were being crooks, not much to say. Just sad to lose some businesses, but again... If it is justified, can't complain too much.

[Scottathew]

I don't mind a little inconvenience if it means cleaning some crooks out of Detroit.

I work in the Compuware building and the streets around here get shut down ALL THE TIME for the most random reasons.

One time Woodward got shut down solely for the fact that a Pro-DPS parade was going down it.

[Gannon]

Still no mention in any media that it goes beyond Gratiot Central Market...Ftoni Meat and Detroit Produce were both completely shut down with posted MSP trooper guards and tape.

[Jimaz]

Too funny, I just checked the news sites, and Channel 4's picture was taken JUST as I drove by Gratiot Central Market. I was going to joke about the State Cop posing for a photo shoot...but didn't realize the woman was working for the news. You can see him just behind the light pole, but from my vantage point it looked all the world like he was posing. I'd SWEAR she shot it with a SmartPhone!

You can see my car in the reflection of the Gratiot Central Market front door, safely following that bad-ass motorcycle. The instant after this picture was taken, I changed lanes to turn onto Russell...and some jerk tried to race around me and honked his horn. THEN noticed all the cops at the intersection, and backed off. Heh.

Is this the photo you're talking about?:

[Det_ard]

So they raid a business that's believed to be scamming the public, or at least the taxpaying public? OK, fine. I'm sure it caused some disruption for a little while, but if it were a multi-week disruption caused by our Hollywood corporate film welfare program there'd be giddy expressions of joy and fawning accounts of spotting vapid celebs.

[Gannon]

Just drove and walked through around 3:30...it looks like NOTHING happened earlier. My sources say they all pulled out around two, and they're pissed none of 'em stopped in for lunch.

Walked through Gratiot Central Market, and again, IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AT ALL.


Totally bizzaroworld, this day is.

[sumas]

I have to agree, we passed the scene at roughly 7:45 on our way to court for our blight ticket for owning an inoperable vehicle. Of course we drove that car to get there. We looked at the police presence and thought for sure there was a mass murder or something. On our way home, about 10:45 am, still amazing police presence and channel 4 was there at that point.

We had company coming so I was preparing dinner and prepping a turkey. Ron watched the news and we were amazed it was over food stamp fraud. Way over kill.

Please to remember I am not that fond of our police dept for issuing a ridiculous trumped up ticket for our car. Still think it was my Duggan sign. My car runs great and is used almost daily. It is licensed, insured.

What a bizarre response to what is essentially white collar crime. I am glad they caught it, but the show of force was way over the top.

I attend many community meetings, we report fraud, drug dealing and other illegal activities all the time and our "community" officers blow us off, all the time.

Most Detroit party stores will buy Food stamp money for 50 cents on the dollar. Everyone sells Lucies for 50 cents too. It's a total rape of the desperately poor. Lucies, for the uninformed, are single cigarettes. Also illegal to sell in that form.

So forgive me for thinking that what should have been an FBI SWAT was insane overkill. Could someone please send those officers into our neighborhoods to help with containing real physical crime.

[Gannon]

Damn right, Sumas.

Heya Jimaz, I just realized I hadn't replied to you...yes that is the one. It all happened in a flash...I'm absolutely sure I saw the person taking this picture the instant it was snapped. Pretty funny.

I'm still pissed at this whole damn thing. It'd be nice to know the cost of the raid plus the cost of lost business versus the value of any stopped fraud scheme. Every State cop this side of Lansing was standing in front of a taped door in Eastern Market, it seemed. I'm sure I over-state the trooperedness of the situation, but it was pretty intense. I don't react well to that shade of blue! [[learned that a good number of years ago, meeting up with a client who gave me a few tickets to a Wings game, had to catch up with him when he was on-duty just off I-75 and 14 Mile road...knew the dude and still broke into a cold sweat that close to the vehicle and his uniform!)

[[to be fair, the trooper traffic enforcement was still active, there was a non-domed pursuit stalker parked on the inside shoulder of the Jefferies Express Lanes)

I would like a follow-up about why the Sheriff Department was not a part of this raid, they always partake in inter-departmental actions. If they were really worried about riots, they'd have all the horses they could summon. I'd bet Benny told Governor Snydely that he'd be there if they were paid in advance...yanno, budget difficulties and all.

Has the Benny-for-Mayor Campaign commented on any of this yet?!

I still think it is odd that every one of the businesses taped off in the morning were open for business by 3:30...as if nothing had happened earlier. Even the ones I could see at Gratiot Central Market.

Was ANYTHING actually done yesterday morning?! I mean BESIDES making me take the long way to my breakfast table?! [[at least I giddily broke every driving law within reason for that spell, knowing that all the cops were busy and otherwise distracted...)

[sumas]

Actually Gannon, I am happy to support you in outrage at stupid stuff. That was one weird scene. The "deployment" of personnel seemed and was too over the top.