Old 16th Precinct station.....gone......

**Ray1936** · October-24-14, 04:46 PM

Opened on November 1, 1955, with the ribbon cutting by Mayor Louis Miriani [[may his tax-evading bones rest in peace), and ripped apart in October, 2014. Oh, well.
I was there as a police cadet the day after it opened. All the old timers had put in transfers to the 'new' station, resulting with guys having to have 10 or 12 years to work a car. The rest walked beats.

**Richard** · October-24-14, 05:20 PM

Instead of Motown the name change would be The Bronze City named after all the little plaques placed around to show future generations what was at one time one of the greatest cities in the country.

In the space inbetween when it became a great city once again of course.

**Jimaz** · October-24-14, 06:55 PM

A related archived thread: Discuss Detroit » DISCUSS DETROIT! » DPD Could Reopen More Closed Precincts

Originally Posted by Parkguy

Here's the story on the 8-ball as I understand it. In the late '60s, the auto dealers in Old Redford donated the sculpture, which represents a rubber-bulbed car horn from early automotive days. The police station back then was the 16th precinct. When it bacame the 8th pct. after the number of precincts was cut in half back in the '80s, someone painted the 8-ball number on. Now it doesn't look like a pool ball or a car horn. I'm confused.

Originally Posted by Barnesfoto

Actually an early to mid 70's Alex Pollack project, done with federal money. Pollack originally envisioned a giant bulb on the car horn that kids could jump on to make it honk.

It was later changed to be the 8th precinct? Anyone know what happened to the 8-ball/horn sculpture?

Where did that photo come from, Ray?

**gazhekwe** · October-24-14, 07:22 PM

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...abandoned.html

**Ray1936** · October-24-14, 08:31 PM

Photo posted by Jeff Romeo, retired DPD, on Facebook, Jimaz. He worked there, too.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-25-14, 08:00 AM

That was the first jail cell I was in. I was probably about eight at the time.

Get your minds out of the gutter, I went up there with my pack of cub scouts!

**Honky Tonk** · October-25-14, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

That was the first jail cell I was in. I was probably about eight at the time.

Get your minds out of the gutter, I went up there with my pack of cub scouts!

Uh-huh..... :-)

**Ray1936** · October-25-14, 10:34 AM

By 1984, there was no 3rd, 8th, or 9th Precincts. [[3rd was Hunt-Gratiot, 8th was Grand River & 12th, 9th was Bethune and John R, all closed up). Chief of Police Bill Hart wanted to have all precincts in a neat, sequential package, so had the precincts re-numbered to attain that goal. Thus, the 16th became the 8th; the 15th [[Connor-Gratiot) became the 9th, and Vernor [[old 2nd) became the 3rd. Number 14 became #2. I was on the Chief's Staff at the time and was totally opposed, and told Hart so. I was ignored. Sob.