In response to the recent surge in violent criminal activity north of the City, and the subsequent public outcry, the Ypsilanti Police Department, the Washtenaw County Sheriff Department and the Eastern Michigan University Department of Public Safety have come together to announce a coordinated offensive that would put more officers on the ground around the Peninsular Place and University Green apartment complexes.
Here’s their joint press release.
YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University and area police agencies have agreed to collaborate and immediately increase patrols in the Leforge Road area north of the EMU campus.
Beginning Friday (Oct. 25), the EMU Department of Public Safety, the Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department and Ypsilanti Township each will dedicate officers to begin specifically patrolling the area.
Assigned officers will meet at the EMU Department of Public Safety headquarters each night to coordinate their efforts, EMU Chief of Police Bob Heighes said. “This collaboration is an important step in helping to ensure the safety and security of EMU students and others living in and visiting the area north of campus,” Heighes said. “We are gratified and appreciative to be working with the city, county and township in beginning this increased effort. Residents should quickly be aware and comforted by the increased police presence.”
Ypsilanti Chief of Police Tony DeGiusti said, “The Ypsilanti Police Department is proud join our neighbors in this partnership. The increased police presence that we will be able to collectively provide will certainly increase the safety of our residents and students. However, everyone still needs to remain vigilant in their own personal safety by making good decisions and being involved. Please remember that if you see something suspicious or a crime occur to call the police immediately.”
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said, “We are all concerned with the security of our neighborhoods and the safety of our residents, our students and the visitors to our community, particularly in light of the recent tragic events. However, I am confident in our ability as a community to come together and address these challenges.”
Demarius Reed, an EMU student and varsity football player who lived at the University Green apartments, located on Green Road, off Leforge and a block from the EMU campus, was shot and killed Friday morning and later found in a hallway in the complex. Two weekend assaults that occurred in the Leforge Road area also spotlighted the need for increased patrols and collaboration by area law enforcement.
Heighes said that the cooperating departments will soon establish a working office in the area, which includes a variety of apartment complexes with a high proportion of EMU students.
EMU and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department will each dedicate two of their own officers to the joint effort, and Ypsilanti Police will dedicate one. One of the two officers provided by the Sheriff’s Office is paid for by Ypsilanti Township. EMU has already begun increased patrolling in the area for visibility, Heighes said.
Heighes said the effect of the increased team patrols would be tracked and evaluated over the next few months and at the end of the year.
The University has also begun working aggressively with several area landlords in discussing further safety measures. Those plans, which presently include the University Green complex, and the adjacent Huron View Complex, could include steps such as adding security cameras, adding emergency call stations, organizing a neighborhood watch program and expanding shuttle hours into the night.
Also, the reward for information leading to helping solve the case of Reed’s death has been increased to $10,000. University Green is contributing $5,000, and Eastern Michigan University and Crime Stoppers are contributing $2,500 each to the reward fund.
Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-SPEAK UP (1-800-773-2587), online at http://www.1800speakup.org, or via text to CRIMES (274637).
For further details on the Demarius Reed case and the variety of public safety updates and forums that have occurred at EMU this week, please visit the Eastern Michigan University’s Community Notice website
27 Comments
An admittedly selfish question: Does this mean fewer cops on the street downtown?
So to patrol an apartment complex located in the city which pays taxes to the city, the Township is paying for 1 Washtenaw County Sheriff patrol and the City gets a 2nd Washtenaw County Sheriff patrol without paying for it? This is bullshit.
It’s our land, but they’re your criminals, EOS. At least it seems to me that a great number of crimes perpetrated in that area are committed by people from the township.
nice post Eel. Congratulations on solving these cases.
I think the police departments would appreciate you sharing the identities of the criminals with them.
thanks again
I said “a great number of crimes” perpetrated in this area. I did not say that these specific crimes were carried out by people from the township. The fact is, this is a regional issue and it impacts all of us. Thankfully the police realize this, even if you and EOS don’t.
Always someone else to blame, right Eel? I’m glad the Township is lending a hand. Not all of us are NIMBYists who have no sense of community. I’m sure it won’t stop the finger pointing and stereotyping, but it’s still nice to see.
Eel,
I dont have a problem with my tax money helping others out.
But when those people that are getting the help are ungrateful dicks, then I have a problem.
Maybe I overstated things for dramatic effect. I didn’t mean to imply that all crime in the area was instigated by township residents. The point I was trying to make was that this was a regional issue. If you read through the comments, I offered mine in response to EOS, who essentially said, “How dare you use my tax dollars on something that’s taking place a few yards outside the township.” Maybe I was offensive. I’d argue that he was worse though.
It’s regional. Then why doesn’t the city contact for patrols from the regional sheriff department at the same rate that everyone else in the region pays?
The township is paying for a sheriff patrol in the city. Why isn’t the city at least paying for the other sheriff patrol?
I am thrilled to see cooperation between these entities. We know the criminals and thugs know no boundaries and the police and sheriffs already go beyond these boundaries all the time. Last time I spoke with an Ypsi Offcier he had just been in the township helping the sheriff with an incident. And as for downtown…it has the school of business, and is part of campus. Pshaw on you whiners.
Presumably that city officer will also be patrolling the apartments on the township side of the line as well. Look at a map. It just makes sense for the departments to cooperate there or they would be wasting your precious tax dollars.
Surprised EOS hasn’t offered his “arm the students” solution yet.
Why doesn’t the city cooperate and pay for their sheriff patrol?
because they have no money
I’m always amazed by people who see their neighbor’s house on fire and are incapable of comprehending why it might be in their best interest to have that fire put out.
I guess in the end, those people are natural agents of entropy, sort of the anti-society, reminding us that all these great things humans have done and that were possible due to cooperation, living and working together to improve civilization as a whole, are just systems and are bound to die, like everything else. I just wish it didn’t always feel so much like this system is going to die because of childish, willful ignorance and bigotry.
Death by fire is better than collaboration, comrade!
Conundrum (definition): When the best comment on a thread is left by someone named “Taco Farts”.
I’ll also echo what others have said here. Crime (and more to the point – the overall health of our society) links us, whether we like it or not. This bizarre idea that an imaginary line on a map has any real meaning mystifies me. We are all Americans, no? We are all Michiganders. We all have to live on this same Earth.
The bad folks (criminals, general exploiters, etc.) would like nothing better than to take advantage of these seams in both our relationships and our physical boundaries. They cheer on the likes of the picayune minority, seeing opportunity in these gaps. I am given hope that the experienced professionals who are tasked with the front-line enforcement of our laws have taken a cooperative approach and ignore the pleadings of the less-informed about “mine” and “yours”. WE are solving OUR problems.
(Of course, I would be remiss if I let Mark off the hook for bringing up the income tax about five minutes after this happened. You used this like a political football from minute-one and you really should hang your head in shame for that. That’s a tea party tactic and you’re better than that. This is a different conversation and you tried to drag us all back into your little battle with Steve Pierce. Jesus Christ, get in the octagon and put it to rest, boys.)
Yes, when I read that the entire City of Ypsilanti had fewer police officers than EMU, one of my first thoughts was that Steve Pierce said, during the election, that not passing the income tax would not result in few cops on the street. It was clearly bullshit at the time, and, yes, it often comes to mind when things like this happen. You seem to think it’s no longer relevant, that we should just accept it and move on. I disagree. History is important. And I think that campaign, and the way that it was waged, is still incredibly relevant. And I’ll keep bringing it up. We were told by people that public safety would not be adversely effected, and it has been. Like I’ve said many times before, I don’t think an income tax would have passed regardless. And I certainly don’t have issues with people voting against higher taxes during a time when the cost of living keeps rising, and wages are shrinking. What I have a problem with is intellectual dishonesty. They knew full well that the size of our police force would dwindle and they hid that fact.
the city didn’t cut police after the income tax failed. the city cut police after the recession destroyed property values.
we appreciate how much you hate steve, but at least get your facts together before saying stuff that is really ignorant.
Yeah, Mark, don’t say stuff that is really ignorant.
A person can be ignorant, that is, without knowledge of a particular subject.
Things, not being sentient and having no brains, cannot be without knowledge of something.
Here are some examples of sentences which use the word “ignorant.” Note that none of them use the word in the same manner as karen has.
Ignorant Sentence Examples
Ignorant of the facts or an abject liar.
To be blissfully ignorant of doubt is an easy way out, a self failure.
Ignorant fool, who is always in trouble with the authorities.
He who remains ignorant of these, shall never be able to bring to pass any wonderful matter.
Ignorant of the truths that lie within every human being, looked outward – pushed ever outward.
It is quite helpful to me as i am woefully ignorant when it comes to matters of economics at this level.
Ignorant european peasants ‘ .
She pretended to understand, in order not to appear ignorant.
Ignorant of some mysteries of religion, do not despond; christ doth not give you all at once.
Scott and shackleton were not particularly interested in ice and snow and were appallingly ignorant of skis, sledges and furs.
Ignorant superstitions from the past.
We will all probably seem very ignorant in a mere hundred years let alone a thousand or ten thousand.
Ignorant of the reality in point of fact?
Indeed, on every subject beside mathematics, he was profoundly ignorant.
Ignorant savages butting in.
Ignorant of the existence of allah, nor did they refuse to worship him.
What is more, for the granddaughter of the chief louver curator, she is represented as utterly ignorant of art history.
Ignorant ancestors.
The man is either totally ignorant of the facts or an abject liar.
Ignorant prejudice.
“the city didn’t cut police after the income tax failed. the city cut police after the recession destroyed property values.
we appreciate how much you hate steve, but at least get your facts together before saying stuff that is really ignorant.”
What years did we have votes on the city income tax (I forget)?
According to the Ann Arbor News EMU police are being deputized to patrol the township so apparently all of the bad guys aren’t on our side of Leforge, EOS.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2013/11/ypsilanti_police_to_be_deputiz.html
Another Peninsular Place shooting.
Read more:
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2013/12/report_emu_student_shot_at_pen.html
There was yet another shooting overnight at Peninsular Place:
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2013/12/emu_students_safety_fears_grow.html
I know that the YPD is already working with Ypsi Township, the Washtenaw County Sherrif’s Dept., and EMU to step up patrols in this area, etc., to try to get a handle on the recent spate of violent incidents that have plagued this area of our community … but I’m also wondering what ordinary members of the community can, and should, be doing to help.
We all know that Ypsilanti has a lot of good things go for it, but I’m beginning to feel that if that’s going to continue, we need to be doing a better job of making sure that all residents and visitors to our community (especially students) are free from this kind of senseless violence.
But I remember being told explicitly by the leaders of the SCIT campaign that crime rates would not go up if we took police officers off the streets. They said talk of increased crime was “fear mongering”.