It has been an especially violent time over the past couple of weeks in Detroit. Just when you think that you can exhale from hearing about the latest heinous offense, there's another one looming just around the oncoming bend.I've lived in this city my entire life, so it comes as no surprise that our town is a rough and dangerous place to live, work, or visit. From first-hand experience, I know all too well how easy it is to become numb and apathetic to violence. We hear of it all the time and it becomes the norm. So, the media outlets have adjusted. We now only hear about the crimes that can scare or anger us.
If someone merely got robbed or raped, it's no big deal and may not be reported in the newspapers or on the news telecast. These crimes are too common. They happen all the time.
Need proof? Check out the Detroit Police Department's YTD violent crime statistics. If you listen to their rhetoric, they'll tell you that they are doing a good job because, with the exception of homicides and shootings going through the roof, other violent crimes are down 10 percent.
I prefer to look at Detroit crime stats up close. I care not how much crime is down when the sheer volume is still way too high. Did you know that every day, on average, three women in Detroit are raped? Probably not. You only hear about a rapist on the prowl in the media when the police think they have a serial offender operating.
If the police can catch him there's a good chance several cases can be closed which may help improve the nation's worse police case closure rate. So, when a sensational rape case emerges expect to see news broadcasts of citizens passing out flyers with a generic picture of a "person of interest" that will look nothing like the actual rapist when he is eventually identified from DNA evidence in the state's offender database.
In the meanwhile, the media can run several highly watched stories about fed-up citizens trying to help the police catch a bad guy. The police get positive press coverage and get to extol the virtues of good working relationships with the community while they decide which services to no longer provide to the same community - like no response to house alarms.
Well, what are they doing about the other rapists? Who knows? The media don't have enough space to highlight them all and in all honesty probably can't generate enough ratings from a simple rape case. The rapes they want to publicize involve senior citizen and children victims. Those rapes get our attention and de-numb the senses of the citizenry. Those cases also get ratings.
Furthermore, on average, in the city of Detroit one person is murdered, 53 burglaries are effected, and 93 citizens are assaulted every single day. You probably didn't know that because all of those stories were not covered and talked about in the media.
From just memory alone, here are some actual crimes that happened recently and were reported in the media:
- A two year old child was taken along with a vehicle that was carjacked
- A 26 year-old mother of six has vanished
- A woman looking for her missing daughter finds body in a vacant house
- A 80 year-old woman body was found abandoned in car-B-cue
- A home invasion where three people were shot (2 fatalities)
- A man robbed at gun point in broad daylight while raking leaves
- A man shot and killed a home invader during daylight hours
There are many other tales of violent crime that happened that you will never know about. I hear about a few non-covered crimes because I get phone calls from surviving victims who want to assume control and responsibility for their safety. In their hour of need, there wasn't a cop in sight.
Other folks talk about leaving the city. Considering the fact that half of the police and fire department staff left long ago, who can blame them? The city tried bribing public employees to move back into the city and with the exception of just one person they all told the city, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Fleeing to the suburbs is not a real solution. The dirty little secret is that violent crime occurs there too with regular familiarity. The suburbs, you see, do a better job of keeping their crimes out of the papers.
The real way to deal with staying safe during perilous times is to assume total responsibility for your safety. Failing to do so will only change a victim's address of record. You can robbed, raped, and murdered anywhere.
Perhaps the most sobering fact of the violent crime problem we have in the metro-Detroit region is that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Black Friday has come and gone and has ushered in the holiday robbing season. Toss in daylight savings time changes whereby it gets dark earlier and the fact that the state of Michigan is tossing 40,000 folks of its cash assistance program it is a no-brainer that crime is about to seriously spike.
If those aforementioned factors aren't serious enough, the city of Detroit may have to layoff up to 2,300 employees. Talk from downtown has suggested that up to 500 cops may be laid off the department staff rolls. In short, it is going to be an even better time to be a violent criminal in the city of Detroit.
In essence, crime is out of control now. It is going to get much worse with no end in sight. The issue citizens have is how they are going to respond to the environment as it is. Some will run. They will merely run and be victimized by suburban predators. Some citizens will do nothing and merely hope for the best. That is their right. Being a victim is a choice.
Some will refuse to be a victim. They will choose to acquire the skill, knowledge, and mindset to protect themselves and their families. It will require the adoption of several changes and a financial investment: training and tools. Peace of mind is priceless and is worth whatever it costs to make it happen.
If you are ready to draw a line in the sand and keep violent crime from your home, then you need to make the next step. That singular step is to enroll in a state of Michigan compliant Concealed Pistol License class.
The last class of the year will be held next Sunday, December 11th.
You have no good reason to wait. Do it now.
Register here now:
http://rick9mm.eventbee.com/event?eid=743982304
About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.
Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.
For more info about Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:
Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404
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