[[Literal) Fear & Loathing in Detroit: Me, Chief Godbee, car crimes and guns

[BShea]

A short essay on my anger and feeling of helplessness and hopelessness over downtown Detroit's endless auto break-in wave.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/shea

[fryar]

Stealing stereos? That's sorta 1980's, isn't it?

Then again, I had my window smashed maybe 5 spaces from CM on Cadillac Square a couple of years ago for the glorious loot of one pre-paid cell phone I had spent maybe $10 on on Ebay. Which is, at least, a little more current. My car thief is more with it than your car thief. More importantly, my thief also made of with the holder, which left me with an arm coming out of my dash to nowhere. I now use it to hang plastic bags from as a makeshift trash receptacle.

I simply don't understand that there is petty crime in downtown. The BID needs to organize the landlords and put together a security patrol. Car theft and vandalism in downtown are b.s. Not that this is news, but on this issue, Detroit simply does not have its act together, and I don't mean the city.

[Stosh]

A short essay on my anger and feeling of helplessness and hopelessness over downtown Detroit's endless auto break-in wave.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/shea

Outwardly I was calm but inside, I was seething. I certainly wasn’t going to go charging back in some sort of vigilante rage — after all, it wasn’t my car and I wasn’t armed. Just being honest, ya know? We did tell the doorman at our apartment building, and he called the police. I have no idea if they showed up. Probably not. The next day, there was fresh green auto glass along the curb in that spot

Great. No follow up, no report to the police, nothing. You could ID the suspects, yet no follow up. And you wonder why things have gotten to this point?

I don't blame you for not getting in the middle of a crime. But I'm sure that you have a cell phone, and giving a description of the perps may have, in some small way, contributed to the capture of these smash and grab clowns.

[fryar]

Stoch has a fair point. It would have been helpful to file the police report. But there is a flipside of that where this really-very-minor police report suddenly gets placed on the PD to-do list when they're already woefully understaffed. Furthermore, they're not going to follow up on this, anyway. They've got raped grandmas to worry about.

Besides, if you look too closely, maybe you just get yourself shot.

Every one of those people whose car or truck was damaged told family and friends what happened, further damaging the city with tales of theft. Those tales go viral, especially in the age of social media and smart phones. Are they likely to come back downtown and spend money? Some of them probably won’t. Others will come less often.

a) And that's why landlords, residential and commercial, have a real incentive to supplement police presence with private security patrols.
b) Likewise, knowledge that you can get away with petty crime in downtown goes viral as well, leading to an increase in petty crime, at which point we circle back to a).

The Boston-Edison HOA website tells of a security patrol that drives by from time to time. It costs a whopping $30 per month to subscribe to. It doesn't sound like the most meaningful patrol, but their model could be a starting point for some considerations.

[SWMAP]

Hooray for BShea getting to the Chief. In July, trying to reach the previous chief about the absolute inertia of SW Distric Commander Serda and his utter refusal to meet with a businessman wiped out just feet from the station, we wrote the Chief a letter [[don't bother calling) and sent it overnite mail, delivery signature required [[think about $7 for postal service). Letter was returned because no one at 1300 Beaubien would sign for it.
Next tried emailing Chief: email suggested by Chief's office [[chiefofpolice@detroitmi.gov) is the DPD dead letter office because days went by with no response.
Finally got to a Sargeant Cox [[who also did not routinely answer his phone and had no voicemail) who was responsible for reading the chief's emails from citizens and concerned parties, who said he was [[many!) "days behind in reading emails.

He did put us in contact [[after lots of pressing) with the Commander who assured us that he would "look into" what appeared to be a dereliction of duty on the part of the responding officers. Result: zero follow-up. I guess we could make an official complaint but I read that they are years behind and have a back-log of 300 complaints.

I long-ago concluded that we are on our own in Detroit.

[BShea]

Great. No follow up, no report to the police, nothing. You could ID the suspects, yet no follow up. And you wonder why things have gotten to this point?

I don't blame you for not getting in the middle of a crime. But I'm sure that you have a cell phone, and giving a description of the perps may have, in some small way, contributed to the capture of these smash and grab clowns.

Two young black guys in white t-shirts, whose faces and features I didn't look at. Think that's helpful much, especially since they were long gone before the cops that didn't up show up, didn't show up? Should we have lingered at midnight in the unlit parking lot waiting for some cops to maybe show up? I sure as shit wasn't pausing to make a call at that point. As I wrote, we told the doorman, and he called the cops within a couple of minutes of this happening. They didn't come or call back. And that is how life is downtown.

My larger point here was that a regular foot patrol [[or on the Segways or horses they have) could go a long way to disrupting this sort of petty crime; instead, they're committing resources to mass towing operations instead.

[Stosh]

Two young black guys in white t-shirts, whose faces and features I didn't look at. Think that's helpful much, especially since they were long gone before the cops that didn't up show up, didn't show up? Should we have lingered at midnight in the unlit parking lot waiting for some cops to maybe show up? I sure as shit wasn't pausing to make a call at that point. As I wrote, we told the doorman, and he called the cops within a couple of minutes of this happening. They didn't come or call back. And that is how life is downtown.

Yes I forgot, this IS Detroit, after all. Carry on.

[lincoln8740]

Speaking of cars getting broken into:

Three weeks ago
Went to the cvs on woodward and warren
Walked in, bought a paper for lunch
Walked out and they had smashed my yukon and yanked out the nav system/stereo

Less than three minutes

They were obviously following me.

When I called the insurance company the lady asked"did you call the police?"

I actually laughed out loud at her

[Russix]

Speaking of cars getting broken into:

Three weeks ago
Went to the cvs on woodward and warren
Walked in, bought a paper for lunch
Walked out and they had smashed my yukon and yanked out the nav system/stereo

Less than three minutes

They were obviously following me.

When I called the insurance company the lady asked"did you call the police?"

I actually laughed out loud at her

I'm pretty sure there's cameras on that lot. Pointless to pay for an Armed Security guard and not put up security cameras.

[bailey]

Speaking of cars getting broken into:

Three weeks ago
Went to the cvs on woodward and warren
Walked in, bought a paper for lunch
Walked out and they had smashed my yukon and yanked out the nav system/stereo

Less than three minutes

They were obviously following me.

When I called the insurance company the lady asked"did you call the police?"

I actually laughed out loud at her

in june, a friend of mine had the entire nav/stereo unit yanked out of his Escalade while at Eastland Mall...broad daylight on a saturday, was inside for as long as it took to return a shirt to Macy's, and he was parked right near the entrance. Nobody saw nuthin. I wonder if it's something about the GM models that makes smashing and grab really easy.

Yes I forgot, this IS Detroit, after all. Carry on.

I love it when you're coming out of a game or concert and it's the entire row of cars with windows blown out. I can understand one...maybe two, not to be a Detroit apologist, but crap like that happens everywhere [[see above).... what boggles my mind is how 10-15 widows get smashed out. No one noticed? really? that takes time, and makes lots of noise. Just amazing really. I've seen it outside the Majestic on Woodward, over in Brush Park around the condos, and on Library street behind Compuware [[where I was one of the ten).

[BShea]

Also: A co-worker tells me a friend's vehicle had its rear window smashed and stuff stolen inside the parking garage behind the Elwood.

[Detroitnerd]

Good post, BShea. It's all true. Detroit's police department seems to be unable to intelligently deploy police to protect cars during events.

For the benefit of those who aren't familiar with how to Detroit-proof your car, here are many of the points that come up in conversation with my friends:

1) No 1990s Dodges, no Jeeps.

2) Leave nothing in your car, especially not loaded shopping bags.

3) Trunk cable should be deactivated.

4) Drive a stick shift if possible.

5) Don't park near sandbags.

6) Use a steering wheel lock.

7) If you have a manual shift, a stereo that isn't worth stealing and and empty car, you might even leave the door unlocked.

[rsa.313]

The Boston-Edison HOA website tells of a security patrol that drives by from time to time. It costs a whopping $30 per month to subscribe to. It doesn't sound like the most meaningful patrol, but their model could be a starting point for some considerations.

that's $30 per month per household. it states they would need 150 homes to cover a 40 hour a week patrol. if only one home pays, then you only get one 1 hour patrol. security ain't cheap.

to add a little balance to the discussion; my neighbors and i have our precinct's area commander's direct desk line and cell phone number. from personal experience, response to a neighbor's B&E was under 12 minutes.

on the other hand, a friend had his car stolen from the curb at 1300 beaubien, so i'm defnitely not saying everything is peachy...

[DC48080]

It is a sad but true reality that if you have nice things or cars you should not bring them into Detroit because there are too many people who cannot control their criminal urges.

I had to buy a second car just for commuting to work in Detroit, a plain, bland Taurus with no chrome wheels, no navigation system, nothing fancy that anyone would be tempted to steal.

It is the same as not carrying a big wad of cash or wearing a nice watch or other jewelry in certain areas. You're just asking to become a victim. Unfortunately that is how it is.

[JStone]

Great article BShea - Dead On. My sentiments exactly.

I've noticed this summer that DPD is actually targeting illegally parked vehicles.

[BShea]

I've noticed this summer that DPD is actually targeting illegally parked vehicles.

I see nothing wrong with that -- Godbee is right about the need to keep cars out of fire lanes, etc. -- but it can't be at the expense of protecting cars, too. And that's the message that's being sent more strongly than ever.

I don't believe it has to be one or the other. Not when I see officers congregating.

[jt1]

Does anyone know who funds the thousands of man-hours that DPD spends as crossing guards for events downtown? During yesterdays joke of a parade they had officers at every side street along Woodward to make sure it was closed. It appeared that it was two officers per car, per street [[on each side of the intersection) for about 5-6 hours.

Who foots the bill for this. Is this DPD pulling officers off real patrols to ensure that Tigers fans know to cross on red?

[spiritofdetroit]

Yes, this is at the city's cost only.

The new DPD employment ordinance which just came out of Council allowing officers to work security on the side in uniform is supposed to deal with this. It would charge companies an hourly rate for 'renting' the police officers on their own time. Supposed to be a win-win - officer get more $$, neighborhood gets more police coverage, businesses more safety.

Something tells me Ilitch will somehow work a deal where he does not pay for the dozens of officers required at Tigers/Wings games, etc. Some cities do this already, others do not.

[Hermod]

Yes, this is at the city's cost only.

The new DPD employment ordinance which just came out of Council allowing officers to work security on the side in uniform is supposed to deal with this. It would charge companies an hourly rate for 'renting' the police officers on their own time. Supposed to be a win-win - officer get more $$, neighborhood gets more police coverage, businesses more safety.

Something tells me Ilitch will somehow work a deal where he does not pay for the dozens of officers required at Tigers/Wings games, etc. Some cities do this already, others do not.

Oh, yes. The officer works all night patrolling your neighborhood for extra pay, then pulls his cruiser in behind the doughnut shop to sleep during the day on the public's dime.

[fryar]

that's $30 per month per household. it states they would need 150 homes to cover a 40 hour a week patrol. if only one home pays, then you only get one 1 hour patrol. security ain't cheap.

In between the residents and business owners, that sounds perfectly cheap. The number of downtown residents alone is, what, in the low 4 digits? Think having a security patrol is good for business? Is scrubbing street art off retail facades cheap? You can't have [[too many) freeloaders of course, but I'd rather have my rent go up by $30 and have this dealt with. I'm paying $500-$1000 for my one bedroom, so it would appear to be only marginally more.

With thousands of residents and however-many businesses, I should think we're easily looking at more than 1 shift. They want 150 houses for a 40-hour shift? My old building, Cadillac Square, covers that and then some. There's lots of other multi-story residential units. And you think Greektown or Compuware may want to contribute? I'd imagine so, since the shared cost to each payor is fairly marginal. We could be looking at multiple simultaneous shifts.

IMHO, these guys either just don't have their act together, or were thwarted by a critical mass of landlords. To me, it's quite possibly a no-brainer [[since my research is not, of course, extensive).

6) Use a steering wheel lock.

Design and develop a stereo lock to foil 2-minute thefts of opportunity? If only there were a location with under-utilized expertise in manufacturing, low costs, and some experience with car thefts. If only there were such a place...

7) If you have a manual shift, a stereo that isn't worth stealing and and empty car, you might even leave the door unlocked.

I have bingo!

My larger point here was that a regular foot patrol [[or on the Segways or horses they have) could go a long way to disrupting this sort of petty crime; instead, they're committing resources to mass towing operations instead.

Those resources may be pulling their own weight or even profitable, however, in terms of marginal revenue equaling or exceeding marginal costs. I understand it's not a great argument, but surely that's why they're doing it.

Does anyone know who funds the thousands of man-hours that DPD spends as crossing guards for events downtown? During yesterdays joke of a parade they had officers at every side street along Woodward to make sure it was closed. It appeared that it was two officers per car, per street [[on each side of the intersection) for about 5-6 hours.

Who foots the bill for this. Is this DPD pulling officers off real patrols to ensure that Tigers fans know to cross on red?

I don't begrudge the officers their extra income, but you couldn't get some hourly workers to do that in this economy? This is related to the idea of shrinking the city: If we're going to be poor-n-broke, let's be smart about it, or we'll never get out of this mess.

Oh, yes. The officer works all night patrolling your neighborhood for extra pay, then pulls his cruiser in behind the doughnut shop to sleep during the day on the public's dime.

This is a valid concern. It should be addressed in some fashion. For example, officers working first shift during the week could pull extra shifts on weekends and irregular shifts of up to 5 hours during their M-F off-hours.

[spiritofdetroit]

The officers are limited to a certain number of extra hours. All of this will be done through the department. The company wanting the extra security pays DPD a small fee, plus the hourly wage to the officer.

In regards to the comment about hiring citizens for security - this is already done, obviously, but they do not have the authority to arrest or detain, or to call for backup, or to carry a weapon, etc, etc. They are not police officers. Under this plan, the officer, while technically "off-duty" retain all of their police authority, wearing their uniforms - which should act as more of a deterrent than a Securitas Rent-a-Cop.

[fryar]

In regards to the comment about hiring citizens for security - this is already done, obviously, but they do not have the authority to arrest or detain, or to call for backup, or to carry a weapon, etc, etc. They are not police officers. Under this plan, the officer, while technically "off-duty" retain all of their police authority, wearing their uniforms - which should act as more of a deterrent than a Securitas Rent-a-Cop.

Oh, absolutely. I made two completely different references. One had to do with blocking off sidestreets to traffic at street fairs. The other one, having to do with security patrols, I have no problem with the idea of having that be off-duty cops, and working around the existing policies. In fact, now that you mention it, if they were rent-a-cops, they probably should not be carrying, and restrict themselves to petty crime. Really, I doubt downtown is a magnet for murder, but if you can eliminate the break-ins and vandalism, it will make a huge difference to Reverend Jackson's clear-hold-build strategy for Baghdad, I mean Detroit, IMO [[tongue-in-cheek, but otherwise not kidding).

[Bobl]

Have no fear. Omit the loathing. DPS is taking charge, assuring a brighter future: Half the buses were late, homework assignments to be turned in on the first day were never mailed, two students shot at Mumford...

[oldredfordette]

There was a huge spike in break-ins, in the company parking lots, early spring and the DPS sent someone over to help us be safe. The officer they sent told us about himself, his accomplishments, his feelings about Detroit, his marriage and then finally, about crime in the CBD. He told us to leave nothing in our cars, find another parking lot [[which the reps from the company frantically tried to get him to take back) then blamed the homeless and ourselves for the crimes. One week later we saw a street patrol. Two weeks later no street patrol. They cut down all the trees around our lot, put up barbed wire, instituted new security measures [[you have to wake the guard up and wave your I.D. at him as you walk by the open gate.

Last month I think there were five more, including in the lot with the most security.

It's non violent crime but it's so depressing. Yet another morale killer.

[iheartthed]

I had to buy a second car just for commuting to work in Detroit, a plain, bland Taurus with no chrome wheels, no navigation system, nothing fancy that anyone would be tempted to steal.

Actually, the bland cars are the ones that make the biggest targets, since they are usually very popular models and can be easily scrapped for parts to sell.

List of most stolen cars from last year:

Honda Civic [[1995)
Honda Accord [[1991)
Toyota Camry [[1989)
Ford F-150 [[1997)
Chevrolet C/K 1500 [[1994)
Acura Integra [[1994)
Dodge Ram Pickup [[2004)
Nissan Sentra [[1994)
Toyota Pickup [[1988)
Toyota Corolla [[2007)

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...umentid=434545