considering moving to highland park MI (houses, rent, work)

[Marcia Cotton]

and the.... You missed the whole point! I've worked for the HP Police Dept. Why not take a trip to the station and discover for yourself where most of the offenders actually "live". Sit and watch who visit the local porn shop and follow them home, better yet inquire who owns the place. And since you only mention sex-offenders, have you ever thought about the fact that just maybe the sex-offender in your "perfect" suburb hasn't been caught......yet. If you've never lived or worked in Highland Park your opinion is really distorted. Further more, the writer is moving from Cincinnati to work in Downtown Detroit. If given the choice between Highland Park and Detroit, the person is much better off in Highland Park. Just remember one thing - its called "robbery" in the city and "embezzlement" in the suburb.

[and the]

and the.... You missed the whole point! I've worked for the HP Police Dept. Why not take a trip to the station and discover for yourself where most of the offenders actually "live". Sit and watch who visit the local porn shop and follow them home, better yet inquire who owns the place. And since you only mention sex-offenders, have you ever thought about the fact that just maybe the sex-offender in your "perfect" suburb hasn't been caught......yet. If you've never lived or worked in Highland Park your opinion is really distorted. Further more, the writer is moving from Cincinnati to work in Downtown Detroit. If given the choice between Highland Park and Detroit, the person is much better off in Highland Park. Just remember one thing - its called "robbery" in the city and "embezzlement" in the suburb.

Ah yes, the old rationalization that "most of our criminals come from the suburbs...." Let's see...Where to begin....Last time I saw the Highland Park Police Station, it was abandoned and in ruins. Do you mean the NEW police station? How long before that one is out of business too? Highland Park can't even pay their pension obligations.

As far as there being fewer sex offenders in the suburbs as compared to the city and/or HP because the ones in the suburbs haven't been caught: Are you kidding me? Do you really want to stick with that argument? You think the City of Highland Park has more resources to go after sex offenders than the City of Livonia, and that's why there are more registered sex offenders in HP?? And what about those sex offenders? Did they all come from the suburbs and decide they liked HP so much they MOVED there?

I worked in an area bordering Highland Park. In fact, the dispatchers dispatched for us AND Highland Park, because HP couldn't afford their own radio system. I also have plenty of friends who worked there. My view of HP is accurate.

As far as robberies vs. embezzlement. Robberies involve sticking a gun in someone's ear to take their money. They're defined the same way in Livonia as they are in HP. There are many more robberies in HP than in Livonia. If you're implying that there is just as much violent crime in Livonia because there are more embezzlements there, you'd be wrong. IF there are more embezzlements taking place in Livonia, (which I doubt, but you can verify it on the FBI's website with their UCR search function if you must) it would be because there are exponentially more viable businesses there than in HP.
Here you go, have at it:
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Uniform Crime Reports

As far as the vast number of criminals coming from the suburbs to do their dirty work in HP, sure you may get some suburbanites looking for drugs or whores in HP, but the vast majority of crimes overall in HP are committed by Highland Parkers and Detroiters. The idea of a vast number of suburbanites coming into HP to despoil it is just silly.

[Marcia Cotton]

First things first. I placed a call to a former HP Police Officer, who is now a Federal Agent, the current Chief of Police, a retired HP Police Officer and also a traffice cop. Hands down, with no hesitation almost all (especially violent crimes) committed in Highland Park ARE committed by OUTSIDERS, be it Detroiters, suburbanites or otherwise. I know what I'm talking about. Go ahead and call for yourself. We know who the slum-lords are, who come into our city and take the check and go home, we know who the store owners are and where they live, who come in and open dirty, filthy stores - selling garbage. These and otheres all take advantage of the lack of resources that Highland Park has to combat these ills. Sure we're in a financial crisis, tell me something new. So what, go ahead and post a picture of the old Police Station. I could post plenty of dilapidated pictures of old structures from all over the country. But as far as safety is concerned, you're no better off in Detroit. The comments made about Highland Park are biased, and based on perception rather than reality.

[and the]

Part I crimes.....In Highland Park.....committed by suburbanites.....Whatever you say......

[BurtsBees]

I see nothing wrong with his statement that the crimes in Highland Park are often committed by Detroit residents. Thats usually the case around the suburbs out this way from the Grosse Pointes, to Harper Woods, up through Roseville, etc.

[usroute10]

Ms. Cotton, I believe that the person who started this thread is looking for a suburb that is not economically depressed and does not have the crime and decay associated with older urban communities like Detroit and Highland Park.

This person is ignorant of the fact that Highland Park has experienced the same decline and descension into poverty and abandonment as Detroit has. Highland Park is not your typical suburb.

If the person wants to live in a decent suburb close to downtown with affordable prices, then relatively safer, yet lame suburbs like Redford Township, Madison Heights, Warren, and Center Line might be what this person is looking for.

I love the historical houses and buildings of Highland Park, but not enough people do, so it'll stay depressed.

[robin luther]

If you are looking to move to a pleasant area with decent city services stay away from Highland Park when you drive through it it looks like a war zone. I love the old buildings too......those that are left intact. Highland Park is a testament of everything that can go wrong in a city, it's an embarassment to the metro Detroit area. You want to look either in downtown Detroit, or the outlieing suburbs.

[prevention]

Congradulations on the new job. In response, I'd like to add that as of 5 minutes ago I put in a call to Highland Park's only probation officer. I asked about the crime rate, who's committiing the crimes etc. She stated that most of the crimes are committed by those who do not live in the city of Highland Park. Those individuals include Detroit citizens but a large portion includes residents living in Southfield, Ferndale, Oakpark, Redford, Taylor, Warren and Dearborn etc. I work in Highland Park as a Social Worker and was not surprised all these lovely people visiting the city. Can you guess why they've been arrested (clue...not for running a red light)? Highland Park hosts several Treatment Facility's, Homeless shelters and medical and outreach programs for low income. Highland Park is also home to drug dealers and drug users who last resided in places such as, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Novi etc.( I have them as clients). Highland Park also has some of the nicest people you ever want to meet living here. From all sorts of backgrounds and of many races ( a melting pot if you will). The point is no matter where you live there will be problems of one kind or another. Your decision should be based on you and your family's needs. Take a trip to the city and its surrounding areas, remember we also, have homes in Detroit that are priced at over a million dollars. I love Detroit and it surrounding citys and wherever you decide to move to become part of making that city better.

[westender]

Highland Park is essentially an inner-city neighborhood of Detroit, except that it is an independent city. It is almost completely surrounded by Detroit, and its condition is similar to the physical condition of Detroit's many early-20th-century neighborhoods. Highland Park has an inner-city setting, not a suburban setting.

[SamOrtiz]

I always felt safer in Highland park than Livonia....but thats just me....Each of us has different expectations and a variety of biases as well as some experienced based conclusions....but to make sweeping generalizations about a given community without the actual experience of being a part of that community while quite common and not always without some merit.....but we have to accept that ones biases as regards racial identities will be a part of how some people will describe living in Detroit. Where we choose to reside is but a part of who we are....Who we choose associate with is far more descripitive of what we are.. Sam Ortiz 48209