Recent crime wave downtown and near downtown

[stinkytofu]

Add the three shot dead yesterday in some car...and I saw on the news last night that a Highland Park cop was shot.

http://detnews.com/article/20110609/...car-in-Detroit

I don't know if the news is more in tune with what's going on, but the last few months seem to have been really, really violent in the city. It's been awful and very discouraging.

[Bagley]

living downtown sort of constitutes "looking for crime." ...Case in point. Guy just got shot on the NW side of town. Granted its not downtown he wasn't out looking for trouble as far is i can tell.

Wow, stick to what you know. There are neighborhoods near Downtown Detroit that would shame many suburbs in security, serenity and access to restaurants, theaters and sports venues. Using a tragedy such as this to make the point that "living downtown sort of constitutes looking for crime" highlights your lack of knowledge on the subject at hand. Surely you realize that the 19700 block of Fielding is geographically closer to Royal Oak, Birmingham, Berkley, Ferndale, Madison Heights, Southfield, Redford, Dearborn Heights and Livonia than Downtown Detroit?

I guess folks in those cities are just looking for trouble...

[agrahlma]

Wow, stick to what you know. There are neighborhoods near Downtown Detroit that would shame many suburbs in security, serenity and access to restaurants, theaters and sports venues. Using a tragedy such as this to make the point that "living downtown sort of constitutes looking for crime" highlights your lack of knowledge on the subject at hand. Surely you realize that the 19700 block of Fielding is geographically closer to Royal Oak, Birmingham, Berkley, Ferndale, Madison Heights, Southfield, Redford, Dearborn Heights and Livonia than Downtown Detroit?

I guess folks in those cities are just looking for trouble...

Thank you Bagley! Agree!

I live downtown and it's much safer than certain sections of some of the cities listed above.

My wife's cell phone was snatched from her yesterday, while shopping in Livonia. We will no longer shop in Livonia - its just not safe anymore [[LOL). Ironic that we live downtown and we're the victim of a crime in the suburbs.

[Autoracks]

same city same police dept... nice try tho. Why umad?

[Bagley]

same city same police dept... nice try tho. Why umad?

I'm not certain that NW Detroit has a police presence based on my experience. Nice try on your part too. Mad? I'm quite sane or I would offer to show you my neighborhood. Gotta keep it a secret from the rustic and demi-rural plebs lest they attempt to take refuge with us once they realize what they've lost.

[southsider]

Honestly, the only thing that's mildly interesting about this post is that it generates this volume of responses. Crime, blight and dysfunction are cornerstones of Detroit. What makes anything under those categories new?

[Gianni]

Went for a long walk on the riverwalk yesterday and noticed something I hadn't before. Signs posted saying that anyone under the age of 18 must be with a parent of guardian after 5 pm. Is that new or did I just never notice it before? If it's not new seems like making a serious effort at enforcing it might reduce a lot of the problems.

Also noticed they were playing classical music. Didn't seem to be working. Maybe try Lawrence Welk?

[DocTerry]

Yes, I believe it is new. Enforcement, if it happens, would be very helpful.

[Zacha341]

Oh, the joy continues.... though no bodily injury: I was just at a mid-day high school graduation held at Chene Park riding with someone driving a Chrysler 300 which we parked on CP's narly gravel lot. To our delight upon returning to the car afterwards, the drivers side window was smashed in, lock jimmied. This occurring while we were under the big-top at the graduation! The parking attendants were just north of nonchalant, taking the incident report. On to the auto glass replacement store - $$$! Great!

Chene Park had tons of staff working the actual event. Yet the parking staff admitted they had only 4 people working the entire lot! Duh!? Someone perhaps interrupted our friendly thief who didn't take the car. Word on the street is that no Chrysler product is safe as they're 'number one' on the theft-banquet for parts due to high interchangeability of Chrysler parts one car to another over a wide range of years and models. I advised my friend to get an alarm with a kill switch at minimal... he had neither.

I don't own a car without an alarm AND some form of ignition 'disabling' for more than a decade of car ownership... Perhaps we should have peddled bikes to the event? ------ !

[English]

Zacha, I'm so sorry that happened to you. My friend and I went walking yesterday morning and saw Crockett's graduation getting started. We walked the entire Riverwalk from about 8 to 9:15. The area seemed relatively quiet except for one suspicious-looking guy between Chene and the Coast Guard station. I can't believe someone went for it in a crowded lot. So aggravating...

[Planner3357]

That does suck. I've been lucky enough to have no issues. I think one reason is that my car is 17 years old. And the other fact is that it is very rare, Alfa Romeo. So I think would be jerks wouldn't even know what to do with it...As long as I live in the city I will never own a newer car. Plus, having no car payments is great.

[Autoracks]

Property crime is irritating. Whenever parking downtown I put everything in the trunk and steer clear of the edges of downtown. A week ago i bypassed a couple streetside free spots before the ball game. On Montcalm behind the Town Pump. Actually stopped, parked, and got out. There were a couple piles of glass before I got to the corner. I asked the cop who was dirrecting traffic there and he told me visible change can and will get your window taken out so I paid 15 bucks instead for peace of mind.

[Zacha341]

Thanks English and P3357! It was not fun to have a very nice event so marred. I guess no one wants my old 'beater' Toyota, and my Ford is fully alarmed and kill-switch equipped like my older Toy.

It is sorta nervy to come upon a parked car amidst other with so people about nearby and do a smash and grab or whatever they fully intended. I work at site in not far from time to time where thieves come along to clip every other Chrysler catalytic converter they can manage. We've some strategic thieves who actually await visitors and out they come with their saws and what not to help themselves... crazy!

That does suck. I've been lucky enough to have no issues. I think one reason is that my car is 17 years old. And the other fact is that it is very rare, Alfa Romeo. So I think would be jerks wouldn't even know what to do with it...As long as I live in the city I will never own a newer car. Plus, having no car payments is great.

[Gianni]

As far as putting things in your trunk, be careful. There are thieves who lurk, wait and watch for you to put your purse in the trunk . As soon as you walk away, they break the glass, pop the trunk and take the whole purse. So you may be inviting theft by putting things in your trunk just before you leave your car. Better to put valuables in the trunk when you get in the car on your way to wherever you are going.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, thieves watch, wait, then take action. That's their specialization. Always put the stuff in the trunk before you get to destination!

As far as putting things in your trunk, be careful. There are thieves who lurk, wait and watch for you to put your purse in the trunk . As soon as you walk away, they break the glass, pop the trunk and take the whole purse. So you may be inviting theft by putting things in your trunk just before you leave your car. Better to put valuables in the trunk when you get in the car on your way to wherever you are going.

[Zacha341]

Followup: I talked to others at the Crockett Technical HS graduation at Chene Park last week and it turns out about 15 cars were vandelized that day. Smash and grabs [[mostly Chrysler products) -- only one car actually taken. I plan to contact someone at the park to complain about this. Apparently this parking lot has been classified as an EASY MARK for thieves!

[alkiwat]

Hi everybody.

I've lived downtown for a year and half now. Over the last few weeks, there has been a major increase in violent crimes robberies near me. And I'm troubled.

Three weeks ago, there was a shooting inside Kingdom nightclub, next door to Saint Andrews. Shortly after, there was another shooting outside - which I heard happen and watched the aftermath. Outside, three bouncers fired 22 shots, killing a man who's car who had hit the building. In the weeks since, the family of the guy killed by the bouncers have been protesting the club. They say their son, a father of three in his 40s, was a photographer hired for a party inside that night. They believe he filmed the shooting inside, and was killed for his camera, which was missing after he was killed.

Two weeks ago, my friend in Corktown was car jacked in front of her home, just north of 75. Three guys took her car and tried to force her into her home. Fortunately, she was locked out of her home at the time, waiting for a friend to bring her key. So the guys left with her car and everything in it - including her computer. They didn't harm her. She was lucky. What would've happened had they gotten her into her home?

Thursday, the Free Press reported two men shot in their car in midtown, north of 94, west of the Lodge. It may have been an attempted car jacking.

Thursday, an off-duty cop got into a shootout with a guy trying to jack the cop's car at the Marathon station on Michigan in Corktown.

Thursday, two men shot outside of club Envy, on Larned near Shelby. One killed, one injured. The deceased was Cortez Smith, a star football player at Wayne State. A graduate of Cass Tech. An electrical engineering major.

A friend of mine was mugged at gun point outside of the party store at Cass and 75 two nights ago.

Last night we saw a guy trying to smash a car window behind the Fox Theater. A friend of mine has had his car broken into three times on that block.

Over the weekend, that landlord was killed over on the east side.

Crime is an old story in the city. And I've had few problems personally, since I moved here. But it seems like a real crazy time right now.

Anybody have anything else to report?

Downtown is the last bastion of commerce the criminals haven't explored - It was just a matter of time - Why would you want to live in fear of your life and your property? My advice to you is to hire private security as some neighborhoods have done - It may help your peace of mind -- Good luck -You'll need it from what you describe