Here's my latest letter to the Detroit News regarding the Detroit Police Department. This letter is in reference to the arrest of an attempted auto theft suspect by 3 ladies. They pulled the person from the car and held him while repeatedly calling 911. The police did not respond, although the police station is literally less than 2 short blocks away. So, the ladies started walking their arrestee to the police station. They encountered a uniformed Detroit Officer in a bank, and he refused to help, telling them to continue walking the person to the station. Finally, Wayne State Police stopped and took the person into custody.

Dear editor:

If you need police assistance, and you live in Midtown or the New Center area as I do, you hope that the Wayne State University Police are in your area. Because experience has taught us that the Detroit Police are unlikely to even respond, even when you are detaining a criminal who committed a crime in your presence; even when you are holding the suspect less than two blocks from the Central District Station. And to insult to injury, a uniformed officer instructs you to walk the person to the police station!

The typical Detroit Police Department three-part blame game response to crime is this: (1) Blame the victims for parking, driving, walking, shopping in the area; (2) Blame the number of 911 calls; and (3) Blame the lack of response on short-staffing. Here's what the Department should do: Blame the criminals, seek them out, and arrest them. Screen 911 calls and only dispatch officers when an on-scene response is actually needed - not "24 minutes" from the time of the call, but now. Finally, cut the command staff, and better deploy your officers. Detroit has more officers per capita than many cities, including Los Angeles. Use uniformed civilians to tow vehicles, direct traffic at sporting events, and lift fingerprints.

Chief Godbee publicly discourages citizens from making arrests, telling us to leave police work to the professionals. If the police don't even respond to repeated 911 calls, then making citizens' arrests is what we will do. I applaud my neighbors for stopping a crime in progress by a making a citizen's arrest.

The joke in my neighborhood is that the difference between the TV Detroit Police Officers on "Detroit 187" and real officers is that the "Detroit 187" officers actually seek out criminals to arrest them. In spite of many dedicated, hard-working, and innovative officers, I have little confidence in the willingness and ability of the Detroit Police Department to have an impact on crime.

I also offer kudos and a sincere thank you to Chief Holt and the Wayne State Police Department for assisting my neighbors in their citizen's arrest.

Thomas E. Page