flint police

The 6 most dangerous neighborhoods in Michigan

Mark Brush — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:02:27 +0000

With all the problems in Flint and Detroit, it's no surprise we see these cities end up on "most dangerous cities" lists.

The lists are generated using violent crime statistics from the FBI's annual "Uniform Crime Reports."

But all cities have neighborhoods prone to crime and many other neighborhoods that are not. They are safe, for the most part.

Location, Inc. says they took data from the FBI and other "exclusive data" developed by the company to rank the safety of specific neighborhoods around the country.

Earlier this month, they released their list, Top 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in America, on their website NeighborhoodScout. There are six Michigan neighborhoods on the list. The top three are in Detroit.

(Click on the street names below to see a map of the neighborhoods.)

Detroit (West Chicago / Livernois Avenue)
Detroit (Mack Avenue / Helen Street)
Detroit (Gratiot Avenue / Rosemary)
Detroit (Wyoming Street / Orangelawn Street)
Saginaw (East Holland Avenue / East Genesee Avenue)
Flint (Chambers Street / Stonegate Drive)

Will 7 new police officers in Flint help?

Stateside Staff — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:04:45 +0000

There are seven new police officers patrolling the streets of Flint. They were hired as part of a public safety millage approved by Flint voters last November.

The millage is expected to generate $5.3 million this year, but what's going to happen in future years as the population keeps shrinking and property values drop?

With the recent hiring of seven officers, the Flint Police Department now has 124 officers. That is down from an estimated 350 officers when times were better.

Will these new officers help make a dent in Flint's crime rate? Flint is in the unenviable spot near the top of many of the "most violent city" lists.

Kevin Smith is the president of the Flint Police Officer's Association.

He mentioned that the seven new officers won't make a big difference any time soon. We asked what it would take, in terms of staffing, to make Flint noticeably safer.

To hear the full interview, click the link above.

State changing the hiring rules for Michigan's emergency financial managers

Steve Carmody — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:11:28 +0000

The state Treasury Department is changing the rules for people hired by emergency financial managers.
Barnett Jones was hired last year as Flint’s Public Safety Administrator by the city’s emergency manager. He resigned earlier this month after it was discovered he had a second full time job as the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department security director.

Flint protestors gather to oppose emergency manager

Mark Brush — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:03:25 +0000

Protesters gathered in Flint to voice their opposition to the emergency manager in their city.
Since last December, Michael Brown, Flint's emergency manager, has been making decisions normally reserved for city council and the mayor. He's expected to present his budget plan for the city during a public meeting with Flint City Council tonight.
Kristin Longley of the Flint Journal reports the protestors gathered outside Flint City Hall before moving inside.
The group of more than 25 Flint residents and community members braved the rain to protest what they consider "taxation without representation" under the emergency manager in Flint.

Brown adopted a budget plan last week that includes fee increases for Flint residents as well as a possible reduction of 19 police officers and 31 firefighters through layoffs and attrition. Overall, city personnel would be reduced by about 150 positions.
Longley reports lifelong Flint resident Ralph Arellano would be willing to pay more taxes for better public safety in Flint - Arello said the emergency manager system "is undemocratic and undermines voters."
"It's all about public safety. There's not one person who lives in Flint who doesn't have some story about public safety," said Arellano, who said his home has been broken into twice. "The decisions they're making are short-term and they're short-sighted."
Protestors put up garage sale signs with the names of some of Flint's assets (ex. Brennan Park and Hurley Hospital) that could be sold off by Michael Brown should he decide to do so.

Two police unions approve new contracts with Flint

Mark Brush — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:53:25 +0000

Flint emergency manager Michael Brown says two police unions have tentatively approved new contracts with the city.
More from Kristin Longley at the Flint Journal:
The members of the Flint sergeants union and the lieutenants and captains union voted on the proposed contracts Thursday, he said.

Brown said it was a significant accomplishment that the parties were able to reach a consensus. The city's four public safety unions have been operating under expired contracts for more than two years.
Details have yet to be released. Brown said he expects to sign the contracts soon to make them official.

Flint gets community policing grant

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:54:37 +0000

The Flint Police Department received a $1.2 million grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation. The grant will hire more police officers, pay for more equipment, and use community policing techniques.

Flint Mayor reacts to news reports on Flint crime

Mark Brush — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:53:43 +0000

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling took issue with two reports on crime in Flint and police layoffs: an article published in the New York Times; and a WJBK Fox 2 news report.
Both were by reporter Charles LeDuff.
Here are some excerpts from Walling's letter posted on votewalling.com:
...I am deeply disturbed by yet another cheap shot at the City of Flint.

Flint moving ahead with police layoffs, after city breaks murder rate record

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 22:47:19 +0000

Flint has set a new record for murders in the city in a single year.

This comes at a time when the city plans to lay off 20 police officers later this week.

Flint recorded its 62^nd murder of the year on Monday. That broke Flint’s previous record of 61 murders in a year set back in 1986, when the city of Flint was much larger.

Firefighters reject contract concessions, police sent layoff notices

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:17:35 +0000

A contract dispute between Flint's mayor and the city's public safety unions escalated Tuesday.

Tuesday, the city of Flint sent layoff notices to 20 police officers. The city and the police unions have not been able to agree on major contract concessions to help reduce a projected budget deficit.

Also on Tuesday, Flint firefighters rejected a proposal to slash their current contract by nearly 10 percent. Union president Raul Garcia says Flint firefighters were upset that agreeing the concessions would not protect them from future layoffs.