Teenagers Downtown - 3/30/2016

[Junjie]

In the spirit of them decoy owls they put on ledges and cornices to scare pigeons away, how about à bunch of lifesize robocops on all streetcorners. Make them pewter colored so they are more neutral. One arm pointing a taser and the torso revolving 360 degrees at the waistline, and sensors to home in on the bad guys...

In DC we had some back and forth over speakers that emit a high-pitched whine that only people below a certain age can hear... like a dog whistle for kids, but extremely annoying.

[ScienceFair]

I don't mean this to sound facetious, but a couple of blocks from where I live, if there aren't a bunch of thirty kids hanging outside bars and restaurants, let alone a hundred on certain city blocks every night, that would be considered weird.

Right? That's the messed up part about this. In a major city, there should be enough things going on and enough people around not to notice something like this. But, I've been here long enough to notice that something was different on this day, and apparently other posters on this board noticed as well.

It's not that it's weird to see young people downtown, it's just weird to see large groups of young people in the CBD at 5pm on a week day. There's nothing for them down there, other than coneys, so you don't usually see them there. Other cities have shopping or places to hang out - Detroit not so much.

[canuck]

Right? That's the messed up part about this. In a major city, there should be enough things going on and enough people around not to notice something like this. But, I've been here long enough to notice that something was different on this day, and apparently other posters on this board noticed as well.

It's not that it's weird to see young people downtown, it's just weird to see large groups of young people in the CBD at 5pm on a week day. There's nothing for them down there, other than coneys, so you don't usually see them there. Other cities have shopping or places to hang out - Detroit not so much.

Yes, I realize that. Also, the neighborhood hangouts are few and loitering at a service station or a party, liquor store parking lot is a no-no but happens no matter what. Either way, it is sad that everything is suspicious to some degree.

[SDCC]

Perhaps they should have checkpoints allowing access in and out of Midtown and Downtown at night, and a curfew put in place. Nobody under 18 without a parental guardian.

In addition, it would be cool to have police on horseback galloping up and down 3rd, 2nd, Cass, Woodward, John R, Brush, and Oakland. In the alternative, two police cars on each of these 7 streets cruising up and down constantly with a total of 14 cars.

Also, police should be directing traffic at the corner of Grand Blvd & Woodward, Warren and Woodward, Mack and Woodward, and Jefferson and Woodward.

Lastly, security guards at all the stops on the new Q-line, and on the train. If budget allows, police on buses too. These measures will lessen crime in Midtown for sure.

I have seen Detroit Police on horses in the downtown area; the horse trailer parks over by Skillman Library. I haven’t seen any mounted police officers in midtown.

Question, these major intersections you’ve mentioned, why have police at those particular intersections, Warren and Woodward for example.

I haven’t seen any official [[this message board is not official) notifications about trolley police on the Q-Line. In San Diego there are two types of trolley police; enforcement and security; enforcement – unarmed – is checking for trolley passes and tickets, they are accompanied by trolley security – they are armed. This is not a daily event; the element of surprise works well. They are never at every trolley stop keeping a watchful eye out, and then, on every trolley checking for tickets, no there is no need for such a heavy handed presence.
I would assume there would be some kind of trolley police force in Detroit. Trolley police in S.D. also have police dogs, as well as, bomb detection dogs. On a typical day they ride around on the trolleys, getting off at certain stops and hang out for a bit, and then move on to the next stop, this is something like random roving patrols. Any rider can text the trolley police, the number is on every trolley.
Oh, and in the Rosa Parks Transit Center there is a curfew sign for all to see. I want to say 15 years and younger, or is it 16 years and younger, I never see any kids hanging out down there.

[Newdetroit]

Detroit is in a very fragile state. It is gaining momentum, and the worse thing that could happen is another rape [[remember the girl from out of state leaving the majestic theater) or a homicide. It has just been recent that people have begun to feel that the city can be a dynamic place. We cannot erase the scars and decades of hostility between the suburbs and the city, and the feeling that Detroit is unsafe. We are all in it, and this is the most opportune time to keep the momentum continuing without some horrible crime which will solidify fears. Tens or hundreds of teens walking around doesn't help. I selected the intersections of Warren and Woodward, Mack and Woodward, and Grand Ave and Woodward as they are strategically located on the main thoroughfare of Midtown. In addition, I mentioned 14 police cars going up and down the side streets. This provides surveillance, quick crime response, and deterrence. I have seen police on horseback in downtown too, and that is why I mentioned Midtown.

Strong police presence, housing, retail, and a rail system within E. and W. Grand Blvd is what Detroit should strive toward. Cities all over the world have security at metro stops, why not the Q-line? It's funny, if the Q-line was an underground metro, nobody would think twice about having security at the stations. I don't know how practical a curfew would work, but I personally don't think it is a bad idea to disallow kids under 18 without parental supervision from hanging out and walking around downtown...or the rest of the city for that matter.

[Honky Tonk]

Detroit is in a very fragile state. It is gaining momentum, and the worse thing that could happen is another rape [[remember the girl from out of state leaving the majestic theater) or a homicide. It has just been recent that people have begun to feel that the city can be a dynamic place. We cannot erase the scars and decades of hostility between the suburbs and the city, and the feeling that Detroit is unsafe. We are all in it, and this is the most opportune time to keep the momentum continuing without some horrible crime which will solidify fears. Tens or hundreds of teens walking around doesn't help. I selected the intersections of Warren and Woodward, Mack and Woodward, and Grand Ave and Woodward as they are strategically located on the main thoroughfare of Midtown. In addition, I mentioned 14 police cars going up and down the side streets. This provides surveillance, quick crime response, and deterrence. I have seen police on horseback in downtown too, and that is why I mentioned Midtown.

Strong police presence, housing, retail, and a rail system within E. and W. Grand Blvd is what Detroit should strive toward. Cities all over the world have security at metro stops, why not the Q-line? It's funny, if the Q-line was an underground metro, nobody would think twice about having security at the stations. I don't know how practical a curfew would work, but I personally don't think it is a bad idea to disallow kids under 18 without parental supervision from hanging out and walking around downtown...or the rest of the city for that matter.

What part of Detroit do you live in, Newdetroit?

[G-DDT]

What part of Detroit do you live in, Newdetroit?

Good question.

Better still-ever have it when you think someone is being funny and sarcastic so you just jovially play off their riff, only to find out with horror that they are actually being serious [[?!)?

I find much of a police state highly objectionable, Newy [[wasn't "Newdetroit" the name OCP, the huge corporation in "Robocop", dubbed Detroit after all it's schemes of crime-saturated gentrification would allow them to revamp it to their liking?-I believe it was. Also, I'm noticing a lot of new or dormant names surfacing on DY lately-oddly enough during a tense election season-and after all this talk about aggressive strategies to "remove Trump" for the sake of the Republican Party on the news-tsk tsk. Many of them are new or from the Brooklyn/Philly area and they got a serious case of the "way it should be" here in Detroit.).

I want patrolling fast response police [[not to mention honest and not so itchy with the trigger finger, but if anyone here at DY were watching much of the broadcast news here in Detroit,-which I notice a lot of DY posters strangely don't, oddly enough, seeing as I am one of the few who does make an attempt to link to recent reports made in and around the city,-you would notice the "honest" aspect has sometimes been in questionhttp://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...cops/82574598/ .)-but not "grab and harass" styles similar to Nazi Germany or Communist Russia.

By the way, my job may not be something I'm all that proud of [["friend" of MAOF?), neither is any place i want anyone here visiting, and I may be very well leaving it soon, but I'm not interested in any of the "suggestions" you made "Newdetroit" for employment.

[SDCC]

Strong police presence, housing, retail, and a rail system within E. and W. Grand Blvd is what Detroit should strive toward. Cities all over the world have security at metro stops, why not the Q-line? It's funny, if the Q-line was an underground metro, nobody would think twice about having security at the stations. I don't know how practical a curfew would work, but I personally don't think it is a bad idea to disallow kids under 18 without parental supervision from hanging out and walking around downtown...or the rest of the city for that matter.

I only question the security issue as I’m not entirely clear where all the funding is coming from to support the yearly operational costs of this venture. The revenue to cover costs are somewhat complicated, unconventional and atypical of other systems. The entire M1 financial plan relies on extremely optimistic forecasts of high daily ridership, “irrevocable pledges”, as opposed to standard legal contracts, and advertising on the Light Rail Vehicles, and at the numerous stops along the way. There is also this illusion that M-1 can sustain service for 10 years without tapping into taxpayers’ wallets.
There is some innovative marketing partnerships afoot with various sports teams, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. The entire M-1 operation will be farmed out to a private transit service company, which is who I assume will be responsible for security. The decision has not been made as to what company will manage and control the day to day operations, and how robust the security presence will be; station cameras, enhanced video systems on the trolleys and transit police, we shall see.
But I agree, there must be transit police - with police authority.
Oh and I never lived in a city that didn't have a curfew for middle aged teens and younger.