Additional police protection for neighborhoods...special assessment? TIF district?

[skyl4rk]

In the desire to figure out a short term fix for the Detroit neighborhoods experiencing an increase in crime during this recession, here is another half baked idea:

Could a special assessment district be created for a neighborhood which would pay for a police cruiser dedicated to that neighborhood?

I realize no one wants to pay additional taxes, but if people are already paying for security and a special assessment would eliminate that cost, maybe it would work. The neighborhood could contract with the DPD or Wayne County Sheriff, so it would be an officer with real law enforcement authority, not just a security patrol.

Maybe this is already being done.

[Retroit]

Probably wouldn't work considering the "Spread the Wealth" mentality that exists in the city. People don't vote by neighborhoods. If they did, probably only the wealthier ones would vote for this. The neighborhoods where more police are needed would be less willing or able to pay for them.

Besides, it's a good idea, so it won't work.

[Corktown Mark]

It is an interesting idea that has been talked about off and on for many decades. No special assessment districts for public safety have been approved. To paraphrase retroit we are all in this together and we must, for better or worse, work it out together. Perhaps the vision of a series of gated "safe" communities sounds good to some. Voters in Detroit would not beleive it could work.

[Vox]

If I could pay more for protection and actually get it, that would be great. I'd bet that if one raised their taxes for the protection, the city would lower their support for their regular police.

[tahleel]

Like one said, completely fencing off large areas, and controlling access via window stickers with RFID's or barcodes may work. Let's say a community of 200 homes completely fences off the neighborhood. The cost is spread throughout the community. Hire a few security guards for visitors [[$10/hr x 24 hours = $240/day = $7200/month). This would break down to $36/month per house. Not bad at all, considering you'd probably pay that for a subscription for a security system, that will only call the police when activated.

Privatizing law enforcement for specific areas is a great idea. Look how Wayne State has done it, and how safety has increased throughout the year.

-Tahleel

[Locke09]

Would you have everything you needed inside your gated community? Because you can be sure that everything outside your gates would continue to deteriorate and you'd have to "run the gauntlet" everytime you ventured outside in order to get back within the safety of your gates. I suppose you could also pay for armed escorts to help you travel to and from work, shopping, entertainment, etc.

The city needs to properly fund those things necessary for health, safety and transportation and let the rest of it go for now. I wouldn't want to live inside gates and have to tremble everytime I step out of them.

[tahleel]

Would you have everything you needed inside your gated community? Because you can be sure that everything outside your gates would continue to deteriorate and you'd have to "run the gauntlet" everytime you ventured outside in order to get back within the safety of your gates. I suppose you could also pay for armed escorts to help you travel to and from work, shopping, entertainment, etc.

The city needs to properly fund those things necessary for health, safety and transportation and let the rest of it go for now. I wouldn't want to live inside gates and have to tremble everytime I step out of them.

No, everything would not be inside these gates. A gated community is a temporary solution to a problem that will take more time and money that Detroiters do not have. Will it take another 40 years to bring Detroit back to what it was? I doubt many people would want to wait that long. No one would tremble when they leave the gated communities, that is if they are not already fearful. It is the same community, whether its gated or not. Controlling access would be to insure the safety of the residents of the community. I know if I had the opportunity of a gated community, I would sleep a helluva lot better at night, and worry less about what might happen when I'm away.

-Tahleel

[DetroitPlanner]

TIFs are not special assessments. TIFs are generally set-up to capture an increase in tax revenue to be poured into a certain area. A special assement is an increase in taxes for people in a certain area. It would be difficult for the police or fire department to be run as dozens of TIFs or SAs because of the nature of the beasts. For example, what would happen if the fire department needed a hand, but the fire was just outside of the TIF district. The way it works now is that police and fire can cross jurisdictions to help each other out.

[Retroit]

tahleel, skyl4rk was asking about police, not security guards. Some neighborhoods already have security guards, and there is no problem if a bunch of neighbors want to get together and hire private security.

I kind of like the gated community idea, but I don't know how well it would work on an existing neighborhood. Most gated communities are gated from their inception and there is some control over who lives there [[have to be able to afford to buy the new homes built there). To gate in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood would be condemned by "social activists" as caging in blacks as if they were animals. May not go over well.

[skyl4rk]

I don't think gates and fences are a good idea, except maybe in the worst areas. Building cul-de-sac's to stop through traffic might help some neighborhoods.

But the point of my original suggestion is to try to give neighborhoods a way to finance and contract for police service that is dedicated to that neighborhood. The main police force for the city would still be in place across the city, but there would be extra service in areas where the residents are willing to pay for it.

I hear discussion on focusing services to those areas which are still relatively populated and this is one way to do that.

The real solution is to provide adequate police service throughout the entire city, but that does not seem to be possible with the current budget problems.

[BVos]

The problem with neighborhoods hiring security guards is that it's a voluntary payment. The neighborhood associations in Detroit's historic neighborhoods have voluntary dues that usually include security. But it's voluntary and in good times only about half a neighborhood will pay dues while the others ride the coat tails. In these times lots of people don't/aren't able to pay those dues so you've got maybe 25% of the neighborhood paying.

With a TIF or SAD it would not be a voluntary thing. You'd be required to pay the assessment and/or TIF tax [[TIFs in MI collect an incremental tax that grows over time an also have an optional millage that can be put on top of the increment) with your taxes and face the same penalties for non-payment as the non-payment of any other taxes.

With any new tax or diversion of tax money, it's controlled by the State Legislature per the State Constitution. So all that it would take is a new law to allow the creation of a SAD or TIF for public safety or an addendum to an existing law to allow security/public safety services as an allowable activity/expense.

[Bloomfield Pills]

BVos, I have a perfect solution to the problem you bring up:

Let's say you, me and a group of 10 other households in our neighborhood decide to hire a security guard to patrol. Well, if nobody else is paying, then the guard's sole job will be to look after the 12 households that are paying him.

If I own a widget factory in a warehouse district, and I pay a guard to watch my facility, then that's what the guard does. He wouldn't be expected to patrol other factories in the warehouse district, would he?

[BVos]

BP,

The problem comes in when the minimum costs to get a security patrol require lots of people to pay so that the voluntary payments split among everyone are not unreasonable.

Also, your neighbor's crime affects you too: property values; neighborhood reputation; being out in the neighborhood walking, the store, park, etc. And do you think the crooks won't hit your house right after their done with the neighbor and the security guard passes by?

[Corktown Mark]

Not exactly on topic but some of these posts make me wonder about businesses and their security. Years ago liquor stores, banks and some other businesses had their own guards who watched and protected the area around the business especially parking lots. Now it seems these businesses just put one clerk behind glass and ignore what happens elsewhere inside the store and outside too. Why can this be allowed? Should businesses be liable for what happens in the lot, at the gas pump etc?

[skyl4rk]

Contracting for police services is done across Michigan under the Urban Cooperation Act. Usually a township will contract with a county sheriff to provide extra patrol hours, or for a dedicated car for that township. This is very common.

The difference with a neighborhood in Detroit is that the neighborhood is only part of the municipal corporation. If the COD were to contract with an outside jurisdiction such as Wayne County under the Urban Cooperation Act for specified police services, and finance it using a special assessment district, it might be permitted under current law.

If the Mayor is willing to admit that things aren't working well, that is a big step toward being willing to find solutions that might be outside of the City government.

For that matter, it might be lawful for the DPD to provide extra police service in a neighborhood where a special assessment has been levied to pay for a specific service. I don't know this, perhaps our street prophet could do some research?

[Fnemecek]

In the desire to figure out a short term fix for the Detroit neighborhoods experiencing an increase in crime during this recession, here is another half baked idea:

Could a special assessment district be created for a neighborhood which would pay for a police cruiser dedicated to that neighborhood?

The Warrendale Community Organization looked into this a little over a year ago. Essentially what you're talking about is a neighborhood association fee. The problem is that every lawyer we talked to insisted that there was no way to make it mandatory once a neighborhood is already plotted.

Voluntary contributions are problematic because its almost impossible to get enough people together with sufficient density to make it affordable for most Detroit residents.

[skyl4rk]

Write a letter petitioning the City of Detroit for a special assessment district.

I hear you on the affordability part. I hate to even mention special assessment but if you need police protection to keep your neighborhood alive and thriving, it might be a way to get the job done.