Mass vehicle break-ins of cars/trucks parked outside near Cobo Hall?

[carlscomputers]

Went to Autorama Sunday & met a buddy of mine who said they saw multiple windows broken on vehicles parked towards rear of Cobo. Anybody else hear about that?

[DetroitDad]

This is becoming a growing problem in Downtown.

Now get this, a friend's car recently had it's windows smashed in, but nothing stolen. GPS remained in the unlocked glove compartment, and the radio was intact. They either got spooked, or this is plain vandalism. Again, you will notice that vandalism issues just happen to coincide with non-school nights.

[Zacha341]

Good times... I've had my cars vandalize downtown years ago... Real fun. I used to be a renegade when parking downtown, finding an obscure corner to park where no one could. Increasingly so, the meter maid/ man would find my hole in the wall spot too and give me a ticket. Or I'd get vandalized. Now I tend to do the pay indoor structures......

This is becoming a growing problem in Downtown.

Now get this, a friend's car recently had it's windows smashed in, but nothing stolen. GPS remained in the unlocked glove compartment, and the radio was intact. They either got spooked, or this is plain vandalism. Again, you will notice that vandalism issues just happen to coincide with non-school nights.

[DetroitDad]

I was surprised with the lack of street parking in Chicago's CBD. It doesn't seem to be affecting them.

These spots are meter spots now, in well lit areas. They're getting bold. It's time to start using the casino garages, and taking the People Mover.

Good times... I've had my cars vandalize downtown years ago... Real fun. I used to be a renegade when parking downtown, finding an obscure corner to park where no one could. Increasingly so, the meter maid/ ma would find my hole in the wall spot too and give me a ticket. Or I'd get vandalized. Now I tend to do the pay indoor structures......

[CLAUDE G]

I had my car broken into twice and its not the theft that bothers me, its waiting 2 weeks to file the insurance claim and get it repaired, and then being without a car.

I remember back in September I was at Tiger Stadium standing on pitchers mound talking to a friend and some asshole broke into my truck parked on Cochran in broad daylight. The alarm went off, and the next thing I see was this guy frantically getting another car that speed away. Nothing stolen but I had a broken window and my dash was screwed up.

Then a few weeks later, I had my car parked at the office, and this time they did manage to get my GPS.

If the insurance companies would stop creating a black market for GPS systems by purchasing referbished units, the problem would go away.

As far as parking on the street downtown, Im pretty much going to spend the extra money to pay to park where they have security.

[Magnatomicflux]

[QUOTE=DetroitDad;226826]

Now get this, a friend's car recently had it's windows smashed in, but nothing stolen. GPS remained in the unlocked glove compartment, and the radio was intact. [QUOTE]

This has happened all three times my car has been broken into. No...wait, the first time they stole all my pennies. The second and third time they just ransacked my car. Didin't touch the CD player, the CD's in the visor....nothin'.

It makes me more mad when they don't take shit.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, I had my car hit at a meter, near a buss stop downtown in the day time. It had to be witnessed... and yes, it's getting bolder. So I just use a garage... like the Casino's and then take the people mover.

I was surprised with the lack of street parking in Chicago's CBD. It doesn't seem to be affecting them.

These spots are meter spots now, in well lit areas. They're getting bold. It's time to start using the casino garages, and taking the People Mover.

[DetroitDad]

Scare tactic like terrorism?

Not everyone likes what is happening in Downtown Detroit.

[EASTSIDE CAT 67-83]

Light rail will remedy those pesky little break-ins, Ta Da......This was a serious problem at Tiger Stadium....till they tore down the stadium.

[Planner3357]

On the street parking at GCP is not very safe either. I always see broken glass right in front of my building. Even the supposedly safe garages are at risk, once in a while I see broken glass on the ground...real secure...but no one's bikes have been stolen.

[Meddle]

Hmmmmm, lesseee who works for Parking Enforcement who knows somebody in the auto glass business.

[Lowell]

Hmmmmm, lesseee who works for Parking Enforcement who knows somebody in the auto glass business.

... or who owns parking lots that sit empty as drivers choose to park park free on Sundays or other non-enforced hours next to their lots.

[DetroitPlanner]

Paying to park is cheap insurance folks. This is Detroit, it ain't the mall. Want free parking? Go to Somerset.

[majohnson]

It is park of an art project. Wait a bit to see the photographs.

[Rocko]

Compuware Garage, $5. DPM round trip [[literally) $1. Wish the on street parking was safe though....

[bailey]

Paying to park is cheap insurance folks. This is Detroit, it ain't the mall. Want free parking? Go to Somerset.

That, "f you, this is detroit and how it is" sentiment is exactly why retail will never come back to downtown and there will continue to be massive leakage of detroit resident's spending dollars to the suburbs.

[bartock]

Yeah, the owners of Nino Salvaggio's and Randazzo's are known to come down to Eastern Market on Saturdays to "convince" the tens of thousands who do commerce there to shop north. They walk around disguised as customers to make sure the conspiracy is in tact. Nanu Nanu.


You don't hear much, if anything, about break-ins, vandalism, etc., around Eastern Market on Saturdays. I've never experienced it in several years of going there twice a month. I tend to side with Bailey's point about the "this is Detroit, deal with it" not being so consumer friendly. EM is a good example of how it is supposed to work within an urban fabric.

[DetroitDad]

That, "f you, this is detroit and how it is" sentiment is exactly why retail will never come back to downtown and there will continue to be massive leakage of detroit resident's spending dollars to the suburbs.

Right. I have also seen glass all over surface lots. It seems that some of the guards aren't guards, they are just cashiers who leave after the lot is full.

[thatguy123]

Paying to park is cheap insurance folks. This is Detroit, it ain't the mall. Want free parking? Go to Somerset.

And you wonder why people look at Detroit as an absolute joke. Keep living in your dream world

[English]

Scare tactic like terrorism?

Not everyone likes what is happening in Downtown Detroit.

Hmm... I don't think it's that deep. I think you have a teenage and young adult element that is becoming bolder after years of decline during the late Archer/early Kilpatrick years, and an adult element that is becoming more desperate.

I used to pride myself on free parking all over the CBD years ago. After my People Mover incident last year, I see the city in a different light. I pay for WSU's ridiculously expensive parking, and when I move back this spring, I will be in a secured building with secured parking. At Cobo, I tend to do their rooftop parking. At the Riverwalk, I park in a garage.

10 years ago, I would have called my behavior now "wussy" and resented it. I would have said there are no guarantees that you won't be a victim. Today, I'm older and as someone pointed out last year, I have more to lose.

I do think that the city could stand to have more police on foot in the CBD. Again, when I was younger, I resented all the cops I saw "helping suburbanites park," but today, I think having them around is a strong deterrent of petty crime. There's a reason why in Chicago, you just wouldn't have kids from the South Side coming to Michigan Ave or Lakeshore to sing "I bust the windows out your car."

[R8RBOB]

Hey, we're a city with reduced cops on the street. I remember back in the 90's you could park your car downtown and not have it get fucked with. Sure there were still some break-ins, I had my car broken into when I parked in a lot down the street from the old Legends on Congress back in 94 but you could park your car on the street. After the casinos open, all hell broke loose. I would see broken grass on Randolph right down the street from the WCB.

[rhythmc]

Scare tactic like terrorism?

Not everyone likes what is happening in Downtown Detroit.

I agree. People doing this know that to make people fearful will slow down the arrival of newcomers so they aren't pushed out as quickly. Especially if they aren't taking anything.

I've had my car broken into in very highly populated areas when the streets are literally crawling with people. I've also had a break-in attempt in a very wealthy area in a parking garage. Things like this can happen anywhere at anytime.

[bailey]

I agree. People doing this know that to make people fearful will slow down the arrival of newcomers so they aren't pushed out as quickly. Especially if they aren't taking anything.

I've had my car broken into in very highly populated areas when the streets are literally crawling with people. I've also had a break-in attempt in a very wealthy area in a parking garage. Things like this can happen anywhere at anytime.

Can it happen anywhere? yes. everyone understands that petty crime happens in large urban environs. Does it happen anywhere else around here with such regularity during daylight hours and/or in high traffic areas? no. not even close. THAT is the problem.

[bartock]

I agree. People doing this know that to make people fearful will slow down the arrival of newcomers so they aren't pushed out as quickly. Especially if they aren't taking anything...

This is an interesting take, and certainly more feasible than the opposite, though I still would counter with the Eastern Market example and even my own experiences parking without a problem on Brush Street or Gratiot for a ballgame. I'm not sure what was meant by the rear of Cobo in the initial post, I'd like to know if it was on the street or the roof or where.

[Ray1936]

Probably a good time to remind all not to leave anything of value visible in the car.