Hell is other people designee - M.I.A.

During yesterday's (February 5, 2012) Super Bowl halftime show, British recording artist M.I.A. made a middle-finger obscene gesture directly to the camera. How classy. This game, between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, had the biggest audience in U.S. television history.  If I had my way, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  would revoke M.I.A.'s U.S. travel rights. Certainly, M.I.A. is deserving of the "Hell is other people" designation.

Detroit Crime Letter, Detroit Free Press, January 11, 2011

Cut crime with better use of police

In order to put more officers on the street, Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. plans to establish “virtual precincts” that will provide limited service during specified hours. How this is going to combat our city’s embarrassingly intractable high crime rate is beyond me.

I’d like the chief to explain why other cities with fewer police officers per capita have had great success in cutting their crime rates. Why, for example, does Los Angeles now have fewer crimes than it did in 1957? Why has Los Angeles, with 4 million people, been able to reduce its murders from 1,000 per year in the early 1990s to fewer than 300 homicides per year today? That’s fewer than in Detroit, a city of 700,000.

   
Putting “more cops on the street” is meaningless unless the police are actually doing something.

   
Unfortunately, I have little confidence in the Detroit Police Department to actually make a dent in the crime rate. And this is in spite of many excellent, ethical and motivated officers. It’s time to bring in someone from the outside to implement effective policing.

Thomas E. Page Retired, Los Angeles Police

Department Law enforcement consultant 


Detroit

Emergency Financial review

The following letter appeared in the Detroit News, December 21, 2011

DECEMBER 21, 2011 AT 1:00 AM

Letters: Detroit should accept help

Intervention is welcome

Rather than welcome the governor initiating a financial review of Detroit's finances, Mayor Bing, with the City Council standing behind him, called a news conference to exclaim that "Detroit needs to be run by Detroiters" (Dec. 2). Well, Mayor Bing, I am a Detroiter. I pay income taxes, utility taxes, and property taxes, and what do I receive in return? Street lights that don't work, buses that frequently don't run on schedule. In fact, I can't think of a single city agency or department, including the police, that provides even adequate services. Most importantly, Detroit needs to be run for Detroiters. I welcome the governor's intervention in this financial crisis.

Thomas E. Page, Detroit

Letter on privatizing Detroit services
Published, November 30, 2011
Detroit News

Detroit News

Privatize services

I applaud Mayor Bing's move to privatize the lighting department and to choose a private management company to run the Department of Transportation's bus system ("Bing likely to seek outsourcing of lighting, busing at financial crisis talk," Nov. 17). These are long-overdue, necessary steps to make Detroit an efficiently run city.

Thomas E. Page, Detroit

Letter regarding Detroit Emergency Financial Manager
Detroit Free Press, December 4, 2011

Rather than welcome the governor initiating a financial review of Detroit's finances, Mayor Dave Bing, with the City Council standing behind him, called a press conference to exclaim, "We are opposed to the governor starting this process. ... Detroit needs to be run by Detroiters."

Well, Mayor Bing, I am a Detroiter. I pay income taxes, utility taxes and property taxes. And what do I receive in return? Street lights that don't work and buses that frequently don't run on schedule. In fact, I can't think of a single city agency or department, including the police, that provides even adequate services.

Most important, Detroit needs to be run for Detroiters.

I welcome the governor's intervention in this financial crisis. The city is broke. A thorough financial review by the governor's staff is an important step in making Detroit a city that works.

Thomas E. Page

Detroit

Alec Baldwin receives "Hell is other people" designation.

This "Hell is Other People" designation goes to actor Alec Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin was ordered off an American Airlines flight that was still at the gate after he refused to turn off his tablet computer. According to reports, Baldwin took his computer into the restroom and slammed the door. This alerted the Captain to the trouble.  Mr. Baldwin blamed the incident on a flight attendant whom he said was acting like a 1950's gym teacher.

I am a frequent flyer. Probably half the time I fly,  I have to speak up and remind other passengers to turn off their phones, computers, tablets, and MP 3 players after the flight attendant announces that "The doors to the aircraft are now closed. All electronic devices with an on-off switch must now be turned off." It never ceases to amaze and disturb me that so many people believe that their "right" to play a game on their computer supersedes my right to a safe flight.  I wish the flight attendants and captains would be more aggressive in enforcing this rule. I laud American Airlines for having Mr. Baldwin removed from the flight. 

High Speed Bus Proposal

I sent the following letter to the Detroit Free Press on November 1, 2011. The letter was in response to a Matt Helms article reporting the Governor's support of high-speed bus service on major Detroit-area roadway arteries. Here's a link to the Helms article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111010328

Dear Editor: 
I support Governor Snyder's proposal to establish a network of high speed buses on major arteries in the Detroit area. As a start, SMART should implement affordable express bus service from Detroit's downtown/midtown hotel and event district to Metro Airport. Currently, the only bus service from downtown to the airport is SMART Route 125. And that takes an hour and 40 minutes on a bus with no luggage capacity. Even that inferior service is in jeopardy due to SMART's proposed cuts. Undoubtedly, the taxi and Metro Car lobby, and the operators of public and private parking lots will attempt to obstruct and prevent any express bus service to the airport. And that's a shame, because a vibrant and diversified transportation system isn't a luxury in today's urban environment. It's a necessity. 

Thomas E. Page

Consolidate or Privatize most City services

On October 20, 2011, I sent this letter to the Detroit Free Press


Dear Editor:

"They're shutting Detroit down," Kid Rock sings in his recording "Times Like These." Shutting Detroit down - the City government that is - is just what we need to do. The City government has time and time again shown itself to be incapable, incompetent, or unwilling to provide even the most basic municipal services. Street lights don't work. The buses don't get repaired. The roads don't get fixed. The schools are arguably the worst in the country. The Police Department annually makes excuses for the highest crime rate among big cities. Other City departments fare just as poorly. And all this in spite of burdensome taxes, including an income tax. 

It's time to accelerate the privatization and the consolidation of most of the City Departments. The City Government's role will become akin to that of a general contractor. And if the subcontractors don't provide satisfactory services, find someone else. 

Thomas E. Page

Detroit Science Center may close for good. 
Here's a link to the Detroit Free Press article on this topic, followed by my letter.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110928/NEWS01/309280018/Will-Detroit-Science-Center-close-good-

Here's my Letter to the paper on this possibility.

Dear Editor:

It would be a huge loss for our community, and the future of our City were the Detroit Science Center to close for good. In my opinion, the ideal option would be for The Henry Ford museum to purchase the Science Center, and make it a satellite of their Museum and Greenfield Village operations. The Henry Ford has the name recognition, the resources, and most importantly the expertise to successfully manage and improve the Science Center. And after all, the Ford Motor Company started in the heart of Detroit. It's appropriate that Henry Ford's namesake cultural landmark have a presence in our Cultural Center.

I would definitely become a member of The Henry Ford society were this to happen.

Response to a posting on 48201 regarding a blog alleging "racial profiling" on a September 11, 2011 (10th anniversary of 9/11): http://shebshi.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/some-real-shock-and-awe-racially-profiled-and-cuffed-in-detroit/


Rather than posting on the 48201 blog, I've decided to respond here:


Although I agree it's well-worth the read,  I probably don't have the same reaction as you did, Jeanne. To be "snarky" as the writer said, I suppose we should ask everyone who is boarding a plan, "Are you a terrorist?" If they say "no" then we'll just let them on the plane. Heck, let's ask them before going through security. If they say no, then they don't even have to be "violated" nor "humiliated" by a full body scan.  From everything I read, once the officers became satisfied that this person wasn't a terrorist she was treated politely and with respect.  Yes, someone probably "profiled" this person, not because the person appeared middle Eastern, but because the 9/11 terrorists were middle Eastern. I hope this incident gets wide-coverage in the middle Eastern community. Because it says to potential terrorists: If you look or action suspicious in any way, you'll be taken off a plane, be strip-searched, and interrogated.  That's how you stop terrorism.  And that's a good thing.


******** In a following communication I wrote...

Please understand that I wasn't angered that you posted the piece. Nor was I really angered by the piece itself. A lot of my perspective, obviously, comes from law enforcement.  When responding to a situation like the author's, the first step of law enforcement is to control the situation, which means controlling the suspects.  Only after the situation has been defused, and the investigation concluded, will the agents/officers explain everything to the individuals detained. I found the author's attitude - yes, snarky, juvenile and irritating. She'll get her 15 minutes - I'm sure the news and talk shows are calling her now. The ACLU will whine about profiling, and the real terrorists will profit from this. 

Here's a late breaking article on this specific incident! http://www.freep.com/article/20110913/NEWS05/110913069/Woman-profiled-strip-searched-9-11-FBI-says-treated-her-well?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Detroit crime: More Cops on the Street the answer?


Here's a letter I sent to the Detroit News on September 5, 2011:

Dear Editor:

The simplistic response to crime is to demand "more cops on the street."  A better response, and really not much more complex, is  to demand better policing. As a twenty-five year veteran of law enforcement, I certainly realize that the roots of criminal behavior are varied and are complex. But I also realize that efficient policing can have, and has had in many cities such as Los Angeles, major success in cutting the crime rate. Here are three initiatives that I believe the Detroit Police Department should implement to cut our City's intractably embarrassingly high crime rate.

First, allow the officers-in-charge of the individual police stations to dispatch officers directly.

In the City of Detroit, if you are requesting the police to respond to any incident or complaint, even non-emergencies, you must call 911. To illustrate, I recently called the Central District to report street-walker prostitution in my neighborhood. The answering officer told me that officers cannot be dispatched from the station, and that even though this clearly was not an emergency, I should call 911. Efficient, responsive and accountable policing would allow the officer-in-charge of the station to dispatch officers directly.  This will complement and not replace the Centralized Dispatching system.

Secondly, use non-police uniformed personnel to direct traffic during downtown events, such as sporting events and festivals. Uniformed parking enforcement personnel, wearing high visibility clothes, could be easily be trained to perform this duty. This would free up more expensive uniformed police officers to perform actual law enforcement duties.

Thirdly, make aggressive traffic enforcement a priority for all uniformed personnel. Aggressive traffic enforcement increases the visibility of the police, prevents criminal activity, and often leads to the apprehension of criminals, guns, stolen property, and other contraband. Vigorous traffic enforcement should not consist of officers hiding behind a tree waiting for someone to roll through a stop sign. Rather, it should be high visibility enforcement of not only moving violations, but equipment, registration and even pedestrian violations. 

In fact, the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes the role of traffic enforcement in combating crime. The IACP's Traffic Services Manual states:  "Today, police departments have become increasingly aware that alert and proactive traffic law enforcement is also an excellent tool to detect and apprehend those who have committed criminal acts, as well as to deter crimes before they happen, by “looking beyond the license plate” in every traffic stop."

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.

Thomas E. Page

Retired, Los Angeles Police Department

Former Detroit Police Officer

Lifetime Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police

City Services? What City Services?
A resident of downtown Detroit recently wrote complaining that she was unable to get an Ambulance, Fire Department, or Police response to assist an elderly person who was bloody from a fall in downtown Detroit. This occurred on a Sunday, near a Hart Plaza festival.  Here's my response to her concern.
*********

The only thing that surprises me is that you seem surprised by our inferior and often non-existent city services. Have you ever called the lighting department to try and get street lights repaired? Have you ever called public works to have streets repaired? Have you ever called your city councilperson? Oh wait, we don't a council person who represents our district! Fortunately, that will hopefully change as of this November with council-by-districts.

In defense of the police officers working Hart Plaza, "abandoning post" is a serious offense for an officer.  There are also many cases in which officers are lured away from a post by bogus emergency calls. This is a very conventional terrorist tactic. But, at the least, the officers should have radioed the emergency in.

You said the Fire Department didn't show up. Well, at a community meeting about a year ago I asked an aide to the Fire Department commissioner if it was true that Fire personnel are NOT allowed to respond to ambulance calls. He confirmed that! Why? He told me it was because of union contracts. Archaic work rules that were established when the city was wealthy are a tremendous hindrance to city services today. By the way, when I worked in LA, the Fire Department was often the first vehicle on the scene of a medical emergency. They would render first aid if needed, provide info to the responding ambulance, and often cancel the ambulance if the person was gone. Efficient indeed.

Re the Police Department, there are many good, professional, and hard working officers. I've met a number of them. In fact, I've encouraged some to transfer to the Central District (downtown, midtown). You know what some have told me? I'm paraphrasing, but the response has been, "No, the officers in Central District are too lazy. I don't want to work there." I've even been told by DPD supervisors that (again, paraphrasing), "We can't get the lazy officers' to work."  There's a reason that many midtown folks call the Wayne State Police for police assistance, even when the incident is not on campus. Heck, I'd support contracting with the WSU PD to provide ALL police services in our neighborhood.

The same ol' way of doing things in Detroit has failed. In my humble opinion, I'd like to see many more services privatized or consolidated, including the public safety functions. (Maybe RoboCop IS the future!)

Also, as Benson said, I suggest you share your concerns, in writing, with as many people as you can, including the Mayor, City Council, Police Commission, Fire Commission, Police Chief, Fire Commissioner, the Commander of Central District Police, state legislators, even our Congressional representatives, as well as the media. I don't expect any short term fixes, but unless something is put in writing, I guarantee you nothing will be done.  

Anyone who's lived in our City for a while knows that many of us recognize that we can't count on the City to provide quality services. I don't know anyone who has moved here, or continues to live here, because of the "excellent city services." That means we have to do things ourselves. I'm confident that we can come up with many creative solutions to our problems.  How 'bout first-aid trained "Ambassadors," on bicycles, on foot, on Segways? Maybe to augment the Downtown Clean partnership?  Just some thoughts.

Finally, lest someone think I'm just picking on City workers...something's wrong when the U.S. Postal Service publishes a list of post office closures, and I'm disappointed that our post office is NOT on it.  It's not just the city.

Letter to Detroit Free Press, August 14, 2011 re: Detroit Police Department


Dear editor:

There comes a time in most professions when an individual, by repeatedly demonstrating an inability to perform the task for which he or she is charged, must leave or be removed. In Major League Baseball, the ineffective player may be sent to the minor leagues. In football, the player may be released. In business, the CEO is terminated. In politics, the voters have the option to turn the person out of office.  That time is clearly past due for the Detroit Police Department, and particularly for the Chief of Police Ralph Godbee Jr. The Detroit Police Department has over and over again shown that it is incapable of effectively performing its primary task of fighting crime.

As Gina Damron reported in the August 14, 2011, Sunday Free Press ("A Day's Gunfire in Detroit"), as of Monday, August 8, 2011, there have been 215 homicides in Detroit, an increase of 32 from 2010. Contrast this disturbing and unacceptable trend to Los Angeles. The August 12, 2011 New York Times reported ("In Los Angeles: A Police Force Transformed" by Adam Nagourney) that LA's violent crime rate has declined for nine straight years. And that the number of homicides in Los Angeles will likely be under 300 for the second straight year. From this Detroiter's perspective, what is most disturbing is that Los Angeles has approximately 4 million residents, compared to Detroit's 700,000. Do the math.  Detroit's murder rate is 500% - 5 times - that of Los Angeles. What is even more remarkable about this is that Los Angeles has fewer uniformed officers per capita than Detroit!

In spite of the many hard working professional police officers in its ranks, the Detroit Police Department, by most salient metrics, has failed in its mission.  Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdon has enlisted former Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton to advise the British Police on methods to fight street crime. The City of Detroit should do the same. Promoting from within its ranks perpetuates ineffective policing.

Thomas E. Page

Crime and the Detroit Crime Lab letter. Detroit News, June 22, 2011

Hire new police chief

The double whammies of the release of crime statistics by the FBI and the scandal regarding the Detroit Police Department's former crime lab call in to question the basic competence of the Detroit Police Department ("Flint, Detroit top list of big U.S. cities for violent crime," May 23). Although downtown and midtown are generally safe for residents and visitors, our city as a whole once again leads the nation in serious crime. At the same time, the department's crime lab, which was closed because of incompetence in ballistics testing, was never adequately secured. Chief Godbee's response has been to apologize and acknowledge that he had been given the responsibility to close the lab. If the mayor is serious about revitalizing our city, he should recruit a police chief that has a proven record of driving down crime rates.

Thomas E. Page, Detroit

Letter on Detroit taxes, published June 9, 2011, Detroit Free Press

Taxes are the problem

I'm a returning Detroiter. After 25 years living and working in Los Angeles, I moved back to my hometown of Detroit. I certainly didn't move here because of the excellent city services. For the most part, and with few exceptions, city services aren't even adequate. City departments are rarely even minimally responsive to questions and complaints. In spite of these and other issues, Detroit is an awfully exciting place to be. I believe that those of us who choose to live here may partake in an urban renaissance without peer. The keys to that renaissance are not only the so-called big ideas, such as the Woodward light rail, but the individual, often entrepreneurial, decisions to live, play, work and create here.

Editorial Page editor Stephen Henderson's suggestion that Detroit needs to break its "high-tax habit" is right on the money ("Help Detroit break its high-tax habit," June 5). Even more important than improving city services, the mayor, Council, Wayne County, and the state should embark on implementing a policy of removing the disincentives for people to live and work in Detroit. In my opinion, city taxes and auto insurance rates are the primary disincentives. As Henderson suggests, the city's income tax for both residents and non-residents should be eliminated in gradients over a five-year period. In addition, the city's property tax rate should be pegged at the median for the metropolitan area.

Once the city-tax disincentives are eliminated, the trickle of entrepreneurs, new residents, and jobs will become a flood!

Thomas E. Page

Detroit

Here is the actual letter that was published on June 4, 2011. Talk about severe editing!

 How about a little outrage over the latest FBI crime statistics? Our city again leads the nation in crime. Our murder rate, for example, is 500% greater than the rate in Los Angeles. It’s time to seriously challenge the willingness and capability of the Detroit Police Department to fulfill its stated mission of protecting and serving our city.

   The latest example of incompetence comes from the disgraceful and probably criminal failure to secure the former crime laboratory — which, by the way, was closed because of incompetence in ballistics testing.

   Thomas E. Page

   Retired, Los Angeles Police

   Department

Detroit Police Crime Lab scandal and Crime Rate

Today's Detroit Free Press reported that the Detroit Police Department's former crime lab was left unsecured with evidence and files open to the elements. This spurred the following letter. E-mail to the Detroit Free Press on May 27, 2011.

Dear Editor:

How about a little outrage over the latest FBI crime statistics? Our City once again leads the nation in crime. And it's not even close. Our murder rate, for example, is 500% greater than the rate in Los Angeles. It's time to seriously challenge the willingness and capability of the Detroit Police Department to fulfill its stated mission of protecting and serving our City. The latest example of incompetence comes from the disgraceful and probably criminal failure to secure the former crime laboratory on Brush St. Which, by the way, was closed because of incompetence in ballistics testing.

The parallels between the failures of the Detroit Public Schools to educate and the Detroit Police Department to fight crime are striking indeed. Although both agencies have many well-meaning professional employees, the end results are similar: Detroit Public School students have the lowest test scores in the nation; Detroit has the highest crime rate.

A response to the failures of the Detroit Public Schools has been the creation of charter schools, that are run independently of the school system. Schools that do not show progress in meeting academic goals are being closed. Perhaps this same model of accountability and innovation can be applied to policing in Detroit. One innovation could be the merger of the Detroit Police Department with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. It has been done in other cities, such as Miami and Indianapolis. Why not here? The fact that the Sheriff is elected brings instant accountability to policing. Another innovation would be the contracting of police services with the Wayne State University Police Department.

Finally, if the Mayor is serious about revitalizing our City, he should recruit a Police Chief that has a proven record of driving down crime rates. William Bratton, the former LAPD and NYPD chief comes to mind.

Thomas E. Page
Retired, Los Angeles Police Department

Detroit Police Chief Godbee discounts importance of arrests.

I e-mailed this letter to the Detroit Free Press on May 8, 2011.

Dear editor:

I am a 25 year veteran of the Detroit and Los Angeles Police Departments. I am also a life-member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. I really hoped for better when Chief Godbee took office. The Chief seems to have resurrected the old and largely discredited attitude that arrrests are signs of failure of our society. And that police can have only a limited impact on crime.

Jeff Gerritt's editorial opinion praises the Chief for not focusing on the number of arrests as a measure of the Department's efficiency. Chief Godbee also refers to the FBI's release of crime statistics as a "shell game." I suspect that the Chief knows that the best statistic, and least likely to be fudged, is the number of homicides. Given that, how does the Chief explain, or rationalize, the fact that Los Angeles with five times the number of people has about the same number of homicides as Detroit? You read that correctly: Detroit has a homicide rate 500% more than Detroit. The Chief should release arrest and citation statistics so that we Detroiters can judge whether we have an efficient Police Department.

Elected officials and law enforcement officers in places like Los Angeles and New York City know that aggressive policing, including arrests for so-called minor crimes, can dramatically cut the crime rate. That's the Broken Windows theory of policing. Take care of quality of life crimes, such as vandalism and graffiti, and the rate of serious crimes plummets.

Finally, a Federal Consent Decree compliance rate of 65% after seven years is nothing to be proud of. Rather, it's a disgrace on three levels: cost, length of time, and the fact that the Consent Decree will do nothing about our intolerably high crime rate.

The Chief has lost sight of the fact that his profession is Law Enforcement. For many, the fear and likelihood of arrest prevent criminal behavior. And if the Chief doesn't believe that, then he's in the wrong business.

Thomas E. Page
Law Enforcement Consultant
Los Angeles Police Department, retired

This statement, with my response, was posted on detroityes.com. I truly am astonished that someone would suggest we change our DUI laws back to a .15 limit. Incredible.

Quote Originally Posted by Ray1936 View Post
I'm not much of a drinker -- an occasional glass of wine is about it -- and I don't like drunk drivers one bit. But I've felt for a long time that .08 is far to low a marker to be considered over the line. It used to be .15, and that was a more realistic figure.

My response:
Are you kidding? Suggesting it should be a .15? A .15 is only realistic if you're just interested in the stumbling falling over drunk who's gotta drive 'cause he's too drunk to walk. Starting at about a .04 the likelihood of being in a crash start to go up dramatically. At an .08 you're about 4 times as likely as a .00 to be in a crash. At .15, you are about 30 times more likely. Impairment in the skills important in operating a vehicle begin to deteriorate with the first drink. An .08 is NOT just a glass of wine with dinner. Depending on a number of factors (weight, blood volume, absorption, burn-off rate, food in stomach, etc.) it's about 4 or 5 drinks over a few hours. Most people are blasted at .15. As currently written our laws say "Try not to drink too much and drive." What we should be saying is "Don't drink and drive." Eventually, we'll go to a .02 like the Scandinavians do. That doesn't mean we should lock 'em up and throw away the key. Rather, they should be taken off the road for at least 24 hours.

Minnesota college kids visit Detroit
From The Detroit News, April 2, 2011. My quote is correct, even though the reporter and I had a much longer chat. Never did hear from the college kids.

Last Updated: April 01. 2011 10:07PM
Minn. college students meet Detroit officials to tout revival plan
Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News

Detroit— Some called their road trip to Detroit refreshing. Others deemed it condescending.

Either way, five Bloomington, Minn., community college students made the rounds Friday from City Hall to Wayne State University to present their turnaround plan for Detroit. They've studied the Motor City all semester at Normandale Community College and traveled 700 miles to bounce their ideas off local leaders and see Detroit first-hand to learn more.

They huddled with Deputy Mayor Saul Green, six of Wayne State's top executives and Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee. The students were given a police-guided neighborhood tour and five tickets to Sunday's Detroit Red Wings game from the mayor's office.

And they even became brief celebrities, with a city bus driver recognizing them from a TV interview while they walked down Woodward.

Today, they expect to meet with Robert Bobb, the emergency manager for the Detroit Public Schools.

"I am so grateful and humbled that people have taken the time out to meeting with five college kids," said Dulcie Valusek, 21, of Eagan, Minn. "After these interviews, I have come to know we didn't really know Detroit. All I have heard about Detroit is it's a war zone and it's barely hanging on. But what I have seen is a community that is coming together.

"It's not helpless. It's not hopeless."

Their trip is a unique example of the heavy national interest in Detroit as a laboratory for urban reformers, with national groups pitching ideas to rescue the city. The five students contacted The News this week for help in reaching city officials before making the trip.

But it's caused controversy among those weary of outsiders claiming to have answers to problems that have bedeviled generations of Detroiters. And some residents were upset the five students chose to stay at a Farmington Hills hotel because of their parents' concerns for their safety.

Tom Page, a Midtown resident who offered to give the students a tour, said he appreciates their enthusiasm but said it's a slight to say: "We will study you, but we won't stay in the city."

Marcus Page, 20, of St. Paul, Minn, said he understands the backlash, adding the students meant no disrespect.

The students' plan includes dramatically boosting the size of Wayne State University, making Detroit known as an education hub and adding neighborhood service projects to high school courses. Page said they will retool their project with what they've learned during their visit.

Many of the ideas the students pitched — including growing the Midtown neighborhood — are being done, said Karen Dumas, a Bing spokeswoman, but she applauded them for going beyond their classroom.

"I'd like other people to do the same rather than pass judgment on the city," Dumas said.

The other students who came to Detroit are Jacob Mars, Katie Krout and Ari Werner. Another student, Tanner Moncrief helped with research but didn't make the trip.

cmacdonald@detnews.com

(313) 222-2396