Having lived next to Detroit for over thirty years, I've had the opportunity to observe the rapid decline in the safety and security of Detroit's citizens. As the population declined from a peak of 3 million, to a current 690k, the money has left, and with it, the ability of police, fire, and EMS services to keep up with the growth of crime, fires (arson), and unhealthy and aging citizens.
The politics of the city, with a single political party in charge (Democrats), there has been no incentive to improve things. Mayor Coleman Young completely alienated the suburbs with his rants about staying "north of Eight Mile Road" (Detroit northern border). Subsequent mayors have been inept, for the most part, and the city finally went bankrupt last year.
The police chief's job has always been a political plum. The previous mayors have been notorious for hiring cronies. The current police chief was previously the chief of the Cincinnati, Ohio, police department. In its history, Cincinnati has had thirteen police chiefs. Detroit, by contrast has had over seventy. This points to the lack of consistent law enforcement policy, and creates a large amount of turnover in the lower ranks.
The state appointed an emergency financial manager whose powers usurp the mayor and city council. He looks at things from a strict dollars and cents basis, and has been able to make appointments to key city posts without regard to political considerations. The police chief is one of those appointments. Since the new chief doesn't have to kowtow to a mayor or city council, he has been able to mold the existing police force into a much more effective unit. Although 911 response times are still high, they've improved markedly. He also recognizes and publicizes the fact that the police can't be there to respond to every crime. He encourages the citizens to legally arm themselves, and has said on a number of occasions that the citizens are ultimately responsible for their own safety. There have been over a dozen cases in which citizens have shot and killed intruders in their homes, all deemed to be "righteous" shootings. And the thieves have taken a lot of this to heart. Crime in some areas has actually declined.
The police chief has been excoriated by liberal journalists and anti-gun groups, but the results are self-evident. And his tenure may not last long enough. When the city comes out of bankruptcy, they will likely fall back to their politics of cronyism.
