Can private security be part of the answer to crime in Detroit?

[statedude3]

Twice a month I meet with a group of people from my Lafayette Park neighborhood to discuss different issues about the neighborhood. Our discussions are separate from the neighborhood association and the handful of other organized groups that meet in the area.

One of the gentlemen in attendance tonight is part of the neighborhood's private security patrol. He named the company that he works for but it has since slipped my mind. He did inform us however that of the dozen or so neighborhoods that have payed for night patrols, that car theft and home invasion is down in these areas. He did not have the specific numbers handy, but I hope to speak with him again soon.

My question for UP...could this be a viable option to help solve some of the crime issues in Detroit? What other neighborhoods do you know of that use private security? I know a couple business owners here in the neighborhood who said they would not have opened up here if there had not been night time security patrols because they don't trust DPD to monitor the streets effectively after business hours.

Anyway, just wanted to get some thoughts on the issue.

[wolverine]

I've heard good and bad about private security, but mostly good. The bad dealt with lazy officers who did not prevent several break-ins. But the system pretty much works for the most part. Far better than neighborhood watches.

[RustTown]

Yes, I do think private security can be part of the answer. But, when we're talking about solving crime, specifically, that has to be an actual change from within. Simply adding more cops and security is only a band-aid.

But, yes, private security can be a small part of keeping petty and non-violent crime down. They can only do so much, though, which is why it should only be used to supplement policing by the city.

Statedude, did you know one of the neighborhoods in the Moores River Drive area has a private security officer?

[tracer1138]

Yes, I do think private security can be part of the answer. But, when we're talking about solving crime, specifically, that has to be an actual change from within. Simply adding more cops and security is only a band-aid.

But, yes, private security can be a small part of keeping petty and non-violent crime down. They can only do so much, though, which is why it should only be used to supplement policing by the city.

Statedude, did you know one of the neighborhoods in the Moores River Drive area has a private security officer?

[RustTown]

Not just that, but it's very possible that the more that these pop up, you'll start to see the already dysfunctional public police department atrophy. I'm torn on whether these will end up supplementing a police force, or becoming de facto police forces of their own? It's just a reaction to an already fractured Detroit? I mean, if you've lost faith in your police, and your schools, and your government, what's to keeping these more well-off neighborhoods from beginning to form their own forces, schools, and ultimately, cities?

[statedude3]

Statedude, did you know one of the neighborhoods in the Moores River Drive area has a private security officer?

[313City]

However, how can we get Private SEcurity, with the City's looks. I'm sure any SEcurity force (mutiple ones at that) will want an arm and leg for any work they're hired to do. The citizens in some of our fair neighborhoods won't pay for it feeling it would be senseless to do so. I think the only way that would work is volunteer. even in reality, volunteer Private Security didn't do so well either.

[RustTown]

Huh?

Neighborhoods pay for this if they'd like, and I think it's a given it would be neighborhood associations with the money to do this. Also the price of the service isn't contingent on where they'd be patrolling be it Detroit or Livona. The price of service is contingent on the hours just like anywhere else. People seem to forget that private security is there to head off petty crime, but beyond that, they are there simply to alert the police for larger and violent crimes. And, volunteer private security doesn't even make sense; that's called neighborhood watch.

Statedude, yeah, I was ambiguous for a reason, and that's because the neighborhoods are divided so strangely in that area. I'm talking about the area around the governor's mansion, which, I didn't want to speculate, but know believe it's called the Riverside Neighborhood, maybe?

[Jasoncw]

I think private security is already part of the answer. I think most of the well to do neighborhoods have them, don't they?

[statedude3]

I think private security is already part of the answer. I think most of the well to do neighborhoods have them, don't they?

[RustTown]

Again, for staving off things like petty and non-violent crimes (i.e. burgleries, car thefts...). I can hardly be the judge on whether it's worth it for your neighborhood, but that is one of the most obvious benefits of security. It's up to the neighborhood to decide if that is worth the cost. The role of a security guard is already a small one, with a specialization on thwarting a very narrow group of crimes. The solution to Detroit's crime problem, ultimately, lies not in law enforcement and security, but in a change in culture and economic empowerment, which is a hard truth to swallow because we all know how long that's going to take.