Finally the media is giving the home invasion problem in Detroit some attention.

**maverick1** · October-20-13, 03:31 PM

Burglaries or home invasion has been a serious problem in Detroit for the last 7-8 years. I don't know how it's been ignored by the media. I don't believe that stats saying it's going down. I think people don't report them anymore because it's useless. I've been in Detroit my whole life and have never seen as been break-ins as I've had recently.
http://www.freep.com/article/2013102...erson-chalmers

**compn** · October-20-13, 04:53 PM

think a 'castle' law would help any?
maybe legalizing booby traps? 10,000 volts on the bathroom window frame?
'beware of land mines' ...

this is a serious problem. whats benny napoleon think about it? hes busy arresting people for small amounts of marijuana while your elderly neighbor is beaten and robbed on his front porch in broad daylight.

**ordinary** · October-22-13, 09:49 AM

That article said between 12,000 and 19,000 a year. Can that be right?

**DetroitPlanner** · October-22-13, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by ordinary

That article said between 12,000 and 19,000 a year. Can that be right?

It seems low. This is based on reported incidents though. The numbers could be much higher, particularly if you look at the number of empty homes stripped. I was broken into 4 times in less than a year.

**GP For Life** · October-22-13, 12:52 PM

Between 12k and 19k is a wide range...

John didn't get into the guy who got put away for a few years for shooting a home invader in the same neighborhood a few years back. Of course the dude was running away, but I can look past that. Until you start shooting these dogs in the street the problem will continue. Martial law in the surviving neighborhoods.

**ordinary** · October-22-13, 12:58 PM

Wow. I knew it was bad but I had no idea.

**daddeeo** · October-22-13, 01:42 PM

A new and improved STRESS is needed. Criminals have carte blanche in the city right now. When the police chief is almost car jacked you know it's [[crime) out of control.

**ordinary** · October-22-13, 02:28 PM

I found it especially sad when the article talked about the litte footprints in the houses. These children are already being inducted into that kind of life. There needs to be more police presence but I don't think the STRESS thing would fly.

**cman710** · October-22-13, 02:56 PM

What kills me is that this problem is one that can be solved with the proper resources. As the article indicates, these neighborhood burglaries are often perpetrated by a small group of thieves who case the neighborhood. Typically, everyone in a neighborhood knows who these people are, by sight if not by name. If the police actually had the resources to be present in the neighborhoods and serve as a deterrent, I think you would see the number of home invasions and burglaries go down dramatically. A very small number of people are accounting for a huge number of the crimes.

**Honky Tonk** · October-22-13, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by cman710

A very small number of people are accounting for a huge number of the crimes.

Let's hope you're right.

**marshamusic** · October-22-13, 03:31 PM

To me, this is one of the most horrific, poignant articles that I've ever read on everyday crime in Detroit. Much has been written but few articles capture the sheer oppressiveness of it, the banality, the sheer insanity.

Makes me think of so many women who wear every good ring that they own at one time, rather than risk the dresser or jewelry box.

Gallagher is such a good writer that he in no way implies that all Detroiters live like this, but also makes clear the pervasiveness of the spectre of crime.

Makes me very, very thankful to live in the Mies community in Lafayette Park, where, as far as I know, I can count on my hand the number of break-ins in it's 60 year history [[one, in the last six years that I've been there).

Also, this piece also reveals of one of the fall-outs of the foreclosure crisis - nice neighborhoods getting new neighbors of "lower" economic strata, some of whom raise community decimating havoc. Reminds me of racial blockbusting.

Thanks for posting this, I've read it twice.

**maverick1** · October-23-13, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by ordinary

That article said between 12,000 and 19,000 a year. Can that be right?

That sounds right and more than likely it's higher. A lot of people call the police or file a report because nothing will happen.

**maverick1** · October-23-13, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

To me, this is one of the most horrific, poignant articles that I've ever read on everyday crime in Detroit. Much has been written but few articles capture the sheer oppressiveness of it, the banality, the sheer insanity.

Makes me think of so many women who wear every good ring that they own at one time, rather than risk the dresser or jewelry box.

Gallagher is such a good writer that he in no way implies that all Detroiters live like this, but also makes clear the pervasiveness of the spectre of crime.

Makes me very, very thankful to live in the Mies community in Lafayette Park, where, as far as I know, I can count on my hand the number of break-ins in it's 60 year history [[one, in the last six years that I've been there).

Also, this piece also reveals of one of the fall-outs of the foreclosure crisis - nice neighborhoods getting new neighbors of "lower" economic strata, some of whom raise community decimating havoc. Reminds me of racial blockbusting.

Thanks for posting this, I've read it twice.

Things are to the point where people assume and accept their house will be broken into. It's been a huge problem in the city for about 7-8 years now. It seems like the semi-stable neighborhoods are preyed on by the bad neighborhoods surrounding them. In Detroit the decent neighborhoods tend to be an island surrounded by poverty and crime.

**mwilbert** · October-24-13, 08:56 AM

I think using the term "home invasion" to describe what anyone traditionally would have called "burglaries" does not aid understanding.

Nonetheless, there are clearly too many of them, whatever we call them, and it is an issue that is probably more important to most of the people in the city than how many drug dealers shoot each other.

**jt1** · October-24-13, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by cman710

What kills me is that this problem is one that can be solved with the proper resources. As the article indicates, these neighborhood burglaries are often perpetrated by a small group of thieves who case the neighborhood. Typically, everyone in a neighborhood knows who these people are, by sight if not by name. If the police actually had the resources to be present in the neighborhoods and serve as a deterrent, I think you would see the number of home invasions and burglaries go down dramatically. A very small number of people are accounting for a huge number of the crimes.

But if the DPD claims they don't have the resources to deal with this why don't we just disband them and save the city a ton of money.

They claim they don't have the resources to do anything about this, they don't have the resources to respond to non-violent calls, they don't have the resources to show up in court. Well, I have to ask, what are the 2800 officers actually doing? I see maybe 2-3 cars on the road a day, where are the remaining officers and what are they actually accomplishing [[outside of being crossing guards for sporting events)?

**A2Mike** · October-26-13, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by maverick1

Burglaries or home invasion has been a serious problem in Detroit for the last 7-8 years. I don't know how it's been ignored by the media. I don't believe that stats saying it's going down. I think people don't report them anymore because it's useless. I've been in Detroit my whole life and have never seen as been break-ins as I've had recently.
http://www.freep.com/article/2013102...erson-chalmers

I've moved back to Michigan after years in the SF Bay Area. The press there did report extensively on home invasions. There it seemed to happen mostly in Asian communities, both victims and perps. From what's been reported here it seems more widespread.