Crackhead Corridor Strikes Again!

[Danny]

Recent source from WDIV 4 news reported that drug dealers had return to do their corner runs near Cass Tech High School. Back in 2001 channel 4 news did that report and Detroit Police along with Wayne County Prosecuter Mike Duggan step in the raided several drug dens around the corridor. Now the drug dealers are back near Cass Tech putting a lot of students at risk coming to and from school.

Will Mayor Duggan and Detroit Police Chief James Craig come to rescue? Let's see.

[compn]

you mean drug raids dont work as long term solutions to the problem?

[Baselinepunk]

Recent source from WDIV 4 news reported that drug dealers had return to do their corner runs near Cass Tech High School. Back in 2001 channel 4 news did that report and Detroit Police along with Wayne County Prosecuter Mike Duggan step in the raided several drug dens around the corridor. Now the drug dealers are back near Cass Tech putting a lot of students at risk coming to and from school.

Will Mayor Duggan and Detroit Police Chief James Craig come to rescue? Let's see.

Ahem. Duggan doesn't control the cops; that would be Viceroy Orr. It's completely unfair to pull Duggan in while many folks around here are giving their Viceroy a pass. Folks including the "MSM" in the area. Local news must have missed the memo of who actually runs this Detroit and who should be held accountable. Unfortunate, but expected from a group of shleps we have here in this "media".


Hold Orr accountable. He may be able to gab in a courtroom, and effectively scare the old, poor, and children but he's a complete failure in keeping this city safe. Clearly in over his head; he needs to resign immediately or give control to the ELECTED officials that should be running that great city. If this was an elected official sleeping on the job like this; the majority of you folks would be screaming, and receiving, their head on a stick.

Stay classy, Orr.

[nain rouge]

I live on West Willis in Midtown, and when I stay in my little Midtown/New Center bubble, I can sometimes get pretty optimistic about Detroit. But just walk a little south and it all pops like a balloon. The south part of the Cass Corridor is like the night of the living dead, derelict buildings and drug addicts. I walk through it frequently, and nothing sobers up my opinion of Detroit faster.

You'd think with assets like Cass Tech, the Masonic Temple, and the only real park in the area within walking distance, there'd be a little life. Instead it's a big tombstone for urban Detroit. As much as I think stadiums are a waste, Illitch's new coliseum might be worth a shot, because I don't what the hell else you can do.

[Hypestyles]

Has the Michigan Chronicle already vacated that area, where they had been on Ledyard?

[NickCharles]

I live on West Willis in Midtown, and when I stay in my little Midtown/New Center bubble, I can sometimes get pretty optimistic about Detroit. But just walk a little south and it all pops like a balloon. The south part of the Cass Corridor is like the night of the living dead, derelict buildings and drug addicts. I walk through it frequently, and nothing sobers up my opinion of Detroit faster.

You'd think with assets like Cass Tech, the Masonic Temple, and the only real park in the area within walking distance, there'd be a little life. Instead it's a big tombstone for urban Detroit. As much as I think stadiums are a waste, Illitch's new coliseum might be worth a shot, because I don't what the hell else you can do.

That's a shame. After all of these years, it seems that always there will be an area-- even though smaller than it was, 40 years ago-- between WSU, and downtown, where the fetid elements of the old "Cass Corridor" live on.
But, be positive. Maybe, sometime soon, it will get squeezed to the point where it finally pops and the downtown glitz will successfully meet, and connect to, the midtown hipsterdome.
That would be a Good Thing.

[toddperk]

I know it was that way when I was at Cass in the 80's. I grow up very fast my freshman year

[nain rouge]

Well, Nick, I don't think it's impossible for the area to be rehabbed. It's a shame, though, because at this point there are so few buildings left in the south part of the Cass Corridor that whatever emerges will be unlikely to have that same Detroit spirit. It'll be that generic stuff you see all over, which I'm happy to have - you just can't help but wonder what would be possible if the builders cared a little more, if they looked to the next generations and took real pride in their work.

[Chinman]

i am sorry to say...but Orr does NOT control the cops. just like he does NOT control any city services. his title is Emergency Financial Manager, which means that he is trying to get the City out of it's financial mess. you don't have to like him or like how he was placed in that position, but he does not control the day to day operations of the city. the chief of police still controls the way the department is run as well as the head of the sanitation department, head of the water department control their departments. Kevin Orr merely sends the allotted money to each of them to run their respective departments as he works to get this Great City back on it's feet. As much as I do not like the fact that Detroit is in this mess, let's try not to kill the messenger, but kill the beast. the beast being the ineptitude that got us here in the first place. i say HONOR contracts that were sighed and negotiate fairly for the next round so that we have a leaner and meaner City!

just my rant.

[brizee]

i am sorry to say...but Orr does NOT control the cops. just like he does NOT control any city services. his title is Emergency Financial Manager, which means that he is trying to get the City out of it's financial mess. .

Nope.

He very specifically went out out of his way to keep the police department out of elected offcial control.

And supposedly the new chief has told Duggan in no uncertain terms he doesn't work for him.

Orr and Snyder want to be the HNIC of Detroit?

Enjoy!

PS. With this and the handling of Cushingberry the luster is coming off of Craig real fast.

[Detroitnerd]

PS. With this and the handling of Cushingberry the luster is coming off of Craig real fast.

I'm all for piling on public officials, but how did Craig play a role in the Cushingberry mess? It's SOP, isn't it, for cops to notify a supervisor when they pull over a VIP?

[brizee]

I'm all for piling on public officials, but how did Craig play a role in the Cushingberry mess? It's SOP, isn't it, for cops to notify a supervisor when they pull over a VIP?

I really don't know.

I have nothing against James. I wasn't as in love as the media has been but he's been doing...ok.

I just think the buck stops at the top. And hopefully with enough embarassments he'll stay away from cameras for awhile.

[motz]

I really don't know.

I have nothing against James. I wasn't as in love as the media has been but he's been doing...ok.

I just think the buck stops at the top. And hopefully with enough embarassments he'll stay away from cameras for awhile.

Mr. Craig seemed pretty upset that the Kush got off so easily. He launched an investigation less than 24 hours after he learned of the incident, I know that much.

I would really love to see Craig put some serious pressure on the dealers that choose to deal outside of a school. I mean, seriously, that is just unforgivable. As much as any of disagree with drug policies or treatment policies or drug laws or whatever, doing it right outside of a high school is some other kind of BS. Kinda wish Kush would swerve his car into those dealers. 2 birds 1 stone and all.

[softailrider]

Maybe they should have left the Cass Corridor as it was. Exalted it as the Red Light district of Detroit. Probably would have increased tourism to a greater degree then anything else they've done.

[gvidas]

The entire area is one big Mexican standoff of real estate speculation.

If you want to see an area stagnate and crumble, create an environment where an empty lot is worth more than the building it replaces; or where even decades of rent pales in comparison to the rumored payout for selling; or where the risks of investing are so high than nobody wants to go first; and then sit back and wait.

Case studies are available all over this city. Good solutions are harder to come by.

[Django]

you mean drug raids dont work as long term solutions to the problem?

Exactamundo. Its the sausage effect, you can squeeze it but its just going to move somewhere else and not to far away. The kids from the old Cass Tech and the new Cass Tech have been walking down Henry to the party store at Cass for many many years. It used to be a hell of a lot worse.

Once the new stadium is built that bubble may just burst and the Corridor will be connected with downtown but while the NSO is there drugs will be needed to satisfy the people who live in the area. Im sure there are some big money folks who have been looking to move the NSO to a less lucrative area for some years now.

Nain I assume you've been in the area for some time, you must remember when Willis and Cass were the place to buy drugs, you have to admit its gotten a lot better around here [[Im two blocks south of you). All those DD's went somewhere though, those that went to jail or prison were quickly replaced by younger DD's who unfortunately may also go to jail or prison.

I still say Detroit needs a red light district.

[NickCharles]

Of course there always will be areas where low-level dope dealers, pimps, & prostitutes will ply their trades.
That has been true, of the large urban centers, since the beginning of... large urban centers.
[[I will tread carefully, lest any pedants presume to tutor me on the correct usage of ellipses.)

Danny's opening post referred to the bottom end of the Corridor and its relationship to Cass Tech. I believe that we're not far from the day when downtown & "midtown" meet and connect, which should indeed pop, squeeze, and sausage much of those low trades elsewhere. The NSO may have to go; TFB.

None of this stuff will be accomplished by any single grand, sweeping move by the cops, but in the meantime, the cops are, in fact, showing a "presence" in the area. We can hope that the "presence" continues, that it's not merely a response to recent complaints. We'll see.

I assume that no one had any delusions about those trades being wholly eliminated. Strong-arming them away from the school will do, for now.
If that causes inconvenience to any who choose to live in the area because of the handy nearness of smack, so be it.

[Django]

Har dee har har.

From what I understand the smack in the Corridor is all pretty low grade for the homeless who want their high right now. Its not the drugs that keep the addicts in the Corridor its most likely the NSO which in turn keeps the DDs in the area.

[NickCharles]

Is there a nouveau smack addict who doesn't "want their high right now?"

[Oddz313]

Of course there always will be areas where low-level dope dealers, pimps, & prostitutes will ply their trades.
That has been true, of the large urban centers, since the beginning of... large urban centers.
[[I will tread carefully, lest any pedants presume to tutor me on the correct usage of ellipses.)

Danny's opening post referred to the bottom end of the Corridor and its relationship to Cass Tech. I believe that we're not far from the day when downtown & "midtown" meet and connect, which should indeed pop, squeeze, and sausage much of those low trades elsewhere. The NSO may have to go; TFB.

None of this stuff will be accomplished by any single grand, sweeping move by the cops, but in the meantime, the cops are, in fact, showing a "presence" in the area. We can hope that the "presence" continues, that it's not merely a response to recent complaints. We'll see.

I assume that no one had any delusions about those trades being wholly eliminated. Strong-arming them away from the school will do, for now.
If that causes inconvenience to any who choose to live in the area because of the handy nearness of smack, so be it.

Of course after the area is redeveloped, what part of the area will they move to?? Southwest downtown by fort and trumbul,Eastern Market,New Center??

[NickCharles]

How should I know?

[bailey]

Of course after the area is redeveloped, what part of the area will they move to?? Southwest downtown by fort and trumbul,Eastern Market,New Center??

they are going to move to where it is least bothersome for them to ply their trade.

Every city has a skid row...it would be nice if Detroit could find a away to remove it from in front of one of it's largest high schools

[Honky Tonk]

How should I know?

rhe·tor·i·cal

adjective \ri-ˈtȯr-i-kəl, -ˈtär-\ : of, relating to, or concerned with the art of speaking or writing formally and effectively especially as a way to persuade or influence people
of a question : asked in order to make a statement rather than to get an answer

[Oddz313]

Ya, well we know Detroit has many of these area's like john R, Fort Street near the cemetary, up woodward past the new center, mack ave but they will have to find a new area downtown to ply the trade because people in these trades are territorial

[Django]

I dont know of any real spots near Cass Tech these days. Cass X Temple ans Cass X Henry were huge back in the 90s but nothing to even speak of happens now near the school. 3rd X Peterboro from 2nd and 3rdis the closest spot these days.