Posted on September 5, 2012

LeDuff: How’s That Scaled Back Detroit Police Force Working?

Charlie LeDuff, My Fox Detroit, September 4, 2012

So how’s that scaled back and whittled down to the bone Detroit police force working? Well, some people on a nice block on the east side called us to tell us about it.

“My mom’s house got broken into like three times this year,” said Lawrence.

{snip}

“You almost have to call and say you’re getting murdered or something in order for them to come. I don’t know what the trick is yet, but they still don’t show up,” said Sammy Tocco, a realtor in Godbee’s neighborhood.

That calling up and saying I murdered somebody bit doesn’t work either because this past weekend on the west side a guy got into a beef with four men. He shot them, killing two. Seeing as the police precincts were closed, the self confessed murderer came to Engine 40 to turn himself in. He begged them to call police, which they did.

“He shot four people and killed two,” said a Detroit firefighter. “No cop ever came here, and this is supposed to be a priority call when you call Central and say, okay, we need a scout car at the fire station.”

After three or four hours, firefighters say they put him in a cab where he went to a police precinct and turned himself in.

{snip}