On the one hand, guns exacerbate a culture in which human life is treated as valueless and disposable.
There’s the 12-gauge shotgun that was used to kill Renisha McBride. McBride crossed city lines from Detroit to Dearborn Heights, apparently searching for help after her car crashed. The 19-year-old ended up on the porch of Theodore Wafer, who is charged with fatally shooting her in the face.
Then there are the guns used in 333 of Detroit’s 386 homicides in 2012. And there’s a stark racial bias to these deaths: In Michigan, African-American men are 41 times more likely to die of homicide than white men.
This is further reinforced by the woefully understaffed and overstretched Detroit Police Department. While police use of force against African-Americans in Detroit has a long, gnarly history, the most immediate issue with today’s police isn’t abuse, it’s their striking absence and negligence: a 50-plus minute wait after dialing 911; less than 10 percent of cases solved; over 10,000 untested rape kits forgotten over the course of two decades.
On the other hand, guns provide a way to address a context saturated with violent crime and police inefficacy.
In this vacuum of social disorder, Detroiters — known for their grit and perspicacity — have doubled-down on the problem of crime. For some, this has taken the form of organized citizen patrol groups, such as the Detroit 300, which uses Michigan’s combination of citizen arrest and concealed carry laws to apprehend criminals the police are unable (or unwilling) to arrest themselves.
Thanks to decades of mismanagement, Detroit is a mess. But look at the report about police effectiveness. Would you have good citizens disarmed when the police can't protect them?
ReplyDeleteMismanagement? Please explain how and why Detroit is bankrupt?
DeleteGreg, that's your number one lie. I don't want good citizens disarmed.
DeleteSo you claim, Mikeb, but your every proposal says otherwise.
DeleteNo response from the coward. The lying coward has no idea how Detroit became broke.
DeleteNow we know why Greg is called the site ass hole lying criminal coward.
Delete"African-Americans are actually overrepresented among concealed pistol license holders compared to whites in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. They’re also most likely to use stand your ground and Castle Doctrine laws: 99 of 126 civilians who killed in self-defense in Michigan from 2000 to 2010 were African-American."
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be an example of the stand your ground law working to the benefit of African-Americans, while the author is correct that any loss of life is a tragedy, I personally think that the bad guy being shot instead of the good guy is a fair trade-off.
It sounds like the city police might be putting too much responsibility on the Detroit 300. There should be some definite limits put on where the responsibility gets handed off between the 300 and the police.
ReplyDeleteThe following seems to be an instance of the police asking the 300 to delve into what should likely be the responsibility of the police.
"On March ninth, Stephanie Brown and her 28-year-old daughter, Jessica, agreed to talk with volunteers. At their suggestion, the group met at the Detroit Police Department's Sixth Precinct. According to a court document, Sergeant Harold Ashford allowed them to meet in the garage only after he put in a call to the department's top homicide cop.
"Inspector Blackmon instructed the sergeant to give us whatever they needed at that time to get the job done, and by job I mean to question and gather information from Jessica and possibly Stephanie Brown."
"What we've learned as a result of the discovery is that someone from above in the police department green lit this whole interrogation at the Detroit Police Department," said Tracey M. Martin."
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19456300/women-suing-detroit-300-city-over-questioning-at-police-precinct
This seems to have happened with the full approval and support of the police. I'm pretty shocked that someone in the 300 thought this could go well. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I can see the potential for this to come back and bite the group.
So we reject the centuries long idea of a trained force (police) to control crime under strict guidelines and public scrutiny? Mob rule, and who is supervising these mobs? How do we guarantee due process and protect individual rights when untrained people are roaming the city with guns? Will we get Miranda rights from a citizen arrest? We see abuses even from properly trained police, what will we see with untrained citizens? Anarchy. I understand some prefer anarchy to a civilized society. They could care less about justice and due process, only revenge and the power to practice their justice. Lynchings will reemerge as people's justice takes over.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the concerns you've listed are quite valid. And in my opinion, allowing this interrogation to take place in police facilities and also seemingly without any supervision show a distinct lack of smarts.
DeleteIt would also likely open up any prosecution of whoever committed the crime being investigated to a valid appeal on constitutional grounds.
The 300 do seem to be working closely with the police, though in this case the lines seem to have blurred to much with the police department's blessing. If I were running the 300, I'd be wanting some clear rules to protect my people.
Being given a Miranda warning is only required prior to interrogating a suspect, and isn't required at the time of arrest. Also keep in mind that if the police aren't adequately able to protect the public, then some form of justice will step in to fill the vacuum. As the author states, the police aren't able to perform those duties.
The next best thing until things can be fixed, is groups like the 300 with proper supervision. Unless Robocop shows up. If I recall, he was a Detroit police officer.
"if the police aren't adequately able to protect the public, then some form of justice will step in to fill the vacuum"
DeleteSome form of anarchy, not justice.
I'd rather see the State send in the National Guard, than have untrained groups of unsupervised armed citizens enforcing THEIR law.
"Some form of anarchy, not justice."
DeleteBut the Detroit 300 are being supervised by the Detroit Police Department to include apparently getting them to perform interrogations in police facilities. Does the fact that this happened with the department's blessing make it ok?
No
DeleteDoes it make it OK for you?
I guess it does.
DeleteAgain, no response from the cowardly soldier.
Delete