Dealing with crime in Detroit

[Retroit]

I don't deal with it. In other words, I never find it acceptable or tolerable. Comparing Detroit to other cities and saying it is no worse doesn't make me feel any better. Turning off the news is just living in ignorance. I am disgusted and deeply troubled by the total disregard for life on the part of many Detroiters (and non-Detroiters). Yes, the good people outnumber the bad and I don't live in constant fear. But I never "get used to" the evil in humanity.

[fakkelsey]

I have lived in Detroit proper from 2001---2004. Prior to that I spent quite a bit of time either working in the city, going to events or urban exploration.
Daylight walking is possible most anywhere on well traveled surface streets. There is not much to see walking side streets--unless you are after a few pictures of buildings.
I have actually traveled the streets at night, walked Greek Town, New Center Area, Mid Town and even Downtown.

I have walked Oakman Blvd after midnight and been in and out of many of the abandoned building throughout Detroit in the wee hours of the morning. The old Clock restaurant on Vernor Highway was a great place to get coffee and a greasy egg.

It is all in how you come across. Obviously there are some neighborhoods no human ought to walk after dark, but there were some of them in most major cities. If you are careless, crap can happen.

I must admit to a liking for Vernor Highway. What part of Oakman did you walk? Seems a good share of that stretch, at least from an outsider, does not seem too bad. Thanks for sharing. Ironically people to some degree are told to expect to be safer in Chicago, and though most areas do not look like Detroit, the city's crime is quite high, even in the downtown region. Again though, just Detroit's day time stats have me a little more on edge there. Most certainly, though, a neat city unlike any other.

I'm no suburbia-dweller; I lived in a home that I owned on Flint's east side (according to FBI stats, you are slightly more likely to be murdered in Flint than in Detroit, currently) from 2004-2011. I currently live in Mount Morris Twp aka Beecher, just north of the Flint city limits. It's between ghetto and rural, depending. And I am a single female and not afraid. It helps that I have large, noisy dogs in my house LOL. I walk and ride my bike as well as drive in these cities, and while I don't routinely go to Detroit, I've been there many times for various reasons and have done my share of walking around. I would like to get to know Detroit better, actually.

I've driven and walked (often alone, even) in Detroit, Flint, Jerusalem, Chicago, Cairo, NYC, Glasgow, Istanbul, Gary (my brother and I explored many abandoned buildings there), Boston (I was born there), Jersey city, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle, Tel Aviv, ABQ, Phoenix, Barcelona, Dearborn and many other cities around the world. Just be careful, sensible, don't associate with n'er-do-wells and any city can be as safe, or unsafe, as you want to make it.

The near-daily litany of crime stories in Flint (or Detroit, an hour away) don't make me personally fearful because I do not fit the demographic of people likely to be harmed and don't engage in high-risk behaviour or hang out with people who are often up to no good. I don't feel that I have to keep my guard up, generally. Not any more than a single woman normally does, or should do.

Are there parts of cities I won't walk in, especially after dark? Of course, that is the common-sense part.

An awesome read. You certainly have been around. I guess my take is slightly different though my experience level is nothing of the sort. While what you say certainly has much truth in it, it seems some people are just looking for easy victims. The type of crimes that put me on edge are the type that target the innocent, so to speak. I was almost robbed once but my friend helped out a lot with that one. My other friend was robbed. In saying that though, after being here in the city for that long and only one time almost getting robbed?! I do believe as humans it is easy to let our fears take control through the what ifs? Chances are one is more likely to get hit by a car or get hurt at work by far than to ever get robbed or shot. Still though, I guess we do not want to put ourselves in a bad situation if it can be avoided. I guess maybe it is all about who or what we put our trust in, and by allowing fear to control we limit much of what could be our greatest experiences.

Concerning your town of Flint, I have heard the police force there is running on fumes. I do hope that can improve in time. Thanks for the great post.

[i-drive]

Two twenty year old "kids" were murdered at a Family Dollar store in Dearborn and the reward is $11,000 for the capture of the suspect. $11,000, what a shame, why are the "rewards" so small, put a million out there at least.

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by i-drive

Two twenty year old "kids" were murdered at a Family Dollar store in Dearborn and the reward is $11,000 for the capture of the suspect. $11,000, what a shame, why are the "rewards" so small, put a million out there at least.

It's a shame that they would have to offer a reward at all. Why didn't the 2 customers in the store come forward?