Each city in the US/world is corrupt to some extent.
Detroit’s corruption problems and its battle against brazen crime have been pointed out by the media, those politically motivated, and concerned citizens.

I used to have a problem, speeding while driving. I received quite a few tickets and paid a premium for my auto insurance, which pressured me to drive within the speed limit. But the following really motivated me to change. I realized most drivers periodically have car accidents and with my speeding habit I would cause easily preventable harm [[a doubling of speed quadruples impact force). Speeding could be the difference between only causing the other person’s car to be wrecked and causing car wreckage along with serious injury to the occupants. I also realized that even if it was the other driver’s fault, my lowered speed would make the incident less dangerous for them and me. No one in my social circle ever confronted me about my speeding. In fact nowadays, several people unfamiliar with my previous driving tease me a bit when I consistently drive the speed limit, ‘You drive like an old lady’.
I had to find it within myself to admit my actions showed that I devalued the people around me and took away their right to a reasonably safe driving environment.

I currently live in Royal Oak but am fixing up a house in Detroit. I also was raised in Detroit and attend grad school at WSU.
In Detroit problems small and large go unchecked to varying extents, and that is the subject of this thread.
I want to surface and have an honest thread about the culture that sets [[different?) expectations for Detroit.

Cleanliness
Cleanliness is a balance of littering and cleaning.
I spent a couple months cleaning and delittering a playground in Detroit. The park suffered from residential dumping, litter, and an obscene amount of liquor bottles of various sizes.
I do realize the playground may have simply suffered from lack of cleanings and thus contained years of accumulated trash.
For instance, downtown Royal Oak has more litter when the Woodward Cruise occurs.

Does Detroit’s cleanliness problem stem from a lack of buy-in to basic “American” societal expectations?
Or is the problem that people don’t respect Detroit specifically?
I know people who litter in Detroit but would never do the same north of Eight Mile. I assume that attitude affects a change in many types of behaviors.
About three months ago I saw someone riding in the front seat of a Detroit Police vehicle smoking what appeared to be a joint. I simply can’t imagine that happening in Royal Oak.

Here is my major point:
Some of Detroit’s common residents and society’s enforcers [[police, politicians) are cynical about Detroit.
They don’t feel they can have a serious impact on making Detroit a much better or worse place. [[This affects me and many other people who try to be hopeful about Detroit.)
As a result they cut legal corners when convenient. Like my speeding for instance, but smoking joints openly in the case of others, or redirecting DPS money, or snowmobiling on Detroit freeways.

1. Does Detroit have a particular problem with this?
2. What expectations are lower in Detroit?
3. Do you have something you want to work on?

Try to keep this thread respectful.
Respectfully share you points and counterpoints and move on.