Detroit

June 16, 2007 6:24 AM

In a few months I will be relocating to Ann Arbor, MI. Located only about 45 minutes outside of Detroit, I am planning to volunteer at a couple of teen organizations. My family however is adamant that Detroit is too dangerous to work in. What can I tell my family to counter their fears?
posted by contog to grab bag (21 comments total)

Well, I live in Ann Arbor, and I can tell you without any reservation that Ann Arbor isn't Detroit, by a long shot.

I mean, ok, I'm a relatively sheltered 26 year old white kid from suburbia and, although I hate to admit it, Detroit scares the hell out of me.

When I go down there for a concert or some such, I really only feel safe in a group. This is probably completely unwarranted, and I know there are sections of the city that are experiencing a revitalization of some sort and I should be one to champion this urban renewal, not be afraid of it, but I can't help it. It's bleak, it's deserted, and I'm constantly accosted by people who want stuff - mainly, my money.

Anyway, Ann Arbor is like another world. Maybe I'm not understanding you - there are plenty of teen organizations in and around Ann Arbor. Are you planning on volunteering there (and your family is extrapolating what Ann Arbor must be like because of its relative proximity to Detroit)? Or are you talking about volunteering down in D-town?

If it's the later, then I have entered this thread in error, and I applaud you for being a better person than I. I'm sure Detroit is mostly safe. I'm just a pussy.
posted by kbanas at 6:33 AM on June 16, 2007

I'm from the general area, and I used to travel to downtown Detroit quite often. Don't wander around alone in the dark...you'll be fine. Things have changed a lot in the last few years. There's lots of revitalization and redevelopment. It's becoming a great city again.
posted by Zimm at 7:13 AM on June 16, 2007

I grew up in Ann Arbor, and in the early 90s I went to a lot of "rave" type parties in Detroit that would usually last until the early morning hours - never had any problems. I would go into Detroit pretty regularly for music shows, the art museum, restaurants, etc - and never have had any problems there either. The worst was homeless guys trying to sell me random crap.

I've had a few friends living in Detroit that have had their cars broken into, and I do know one kid who was shot, but that's because he was involved in drug dealing. If you mind your own business and keep out of the really bad neighborhoods, there is not too much to worry about.
posted by p3t3 at 7:28 AM on June 16, 2007

Yeah, if you are volunteering right in Ann Arbor, you'll be fine. Especially if it's sponsored by one of the schools, the YMCA, the public library, or even one of the area colleges. If you are setting up meetings with teens outside of a structured program, meet with them in very public places.

Whether you are planning on staying in Ann Arbor or heading out of town (Ypsilanti, Brighton, Canton, etc.), be wary of strangers that randomly walk up to you - they don't really need gas money, they didn't leave their cell phone at home, they haven't just lost their wallet, etc. These scams are really effective in this area - there are a lot college students and young families that really want to help other people.

Also, don't be afraid of Detroit, just don't wander off of the beaten path. I go downtown a lot and have never had a problem - kbanas has a good point though - stick with crowds. Don't park down an alley unless everyone is parking down that alley; pay $10 for valet if you feel uncomfortable in parking structures. Be mindful of your surroundings and you'll be fine.

Here are some link that can give you some more info. on the safety of Ann Arbor:

Living in the City of Ann Arbor

Crime Statistics for the first 2 mos. of 2007 vs. 2006

Ann Arbor Police Department - has a weekly crime bulletin link. The majority of the crime in Ann Arbor is based on opportunity - a bike being grabbed from an open garage, purses or wallets left near unlocked doors, etc.
posted by blackkar at 7:33 AM on June 16, 2007

Detroit itself is not safe. Detroit routinely makes the list as one of America's most dangerous cities.

I was born and raised there, and things have gotten worse since I left. (I have been back several times, and my dad and brother still live there.) I am not a pussy; I was raised right in the Cass Corridor ghetto, and am very comfortable with city life. But I wouldn't hang out there any more than I'd have to.

If you visit Detroit for a concert or ball game or other event, park with the crowd, enter with the crowd, leave with the crowd. Don't go wandering off to "explore the local culture." And DON'T just hang around after the crowd is gone.

There are lots of great things in Detroit. Museums, sports, concerts, conventions, and in a lot of areas, things are turning around. But it's still not a place you can drop your guard. It's not New York City, where crime has nose-dived.

Carjacking is not uncommon; neither is murder, armed robbery, intimidation, or just random violent crime.

This is not Detroit-bashing, or listening to stereotypes; the reality is, Detroit is a tough place. A house 3 doors down from my childhood home (where my dad still lives!) was blown to splinters because of a gang conflict. Literally blew the house to pieces, taking several houses on either side with it. I routinely saw people beaten, or shot, or robbed. My own grandfather was beaten and robbed in our own neighborhood numerous times when I was kid. Hearing gunfire at night was common. There were countless murders in both neighborhoods I lived in, including murders of undercover cops. And it's not just because I lived in a "bad part of town." It's like that all over.


Here is a chart comparing the Detroit crime rate with the national rate, and also with another tough town, Chicago. Detroit makes Chicago look like Disneyland.

Good for you for wanting to help. But I wouldn't recommend it. It took me 5 years living in a safer city until I wasn't looking over my shoulder all the time.

Help in Ann Arbor instead. Let the Detroiters who know the city and have ties to the community do the work there.

Here's a comparison of Ann Arbor and Detroit.
posted by The Deej at 7:33 AM on June 16, 2007

If you want to make a difference in the lives of children living in poverty it might require stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit. If you are volunteering at an organization where the children come to gather and you meet them there to do tutoring or some other activity there's a good chance you're going to be really safe. If you're not so sure, ask the organization what they do to make sure their volunteers are safe before you start volunteering. I volunteer tutored in at a school deep in the south side of Chicago for two years during college and never once had anything vaguely like a dangerous situation occur. We all drove to the school in car pools, arrived and departed at the same time and were watched over by school security while we were there.

On the other hand, as a caseworker in Philly I've been caught in a crossfire, witness all kinds of street fights, drug deals and prostitution on about a daily basis, and generally work in a defacto high risk environment since I do home visits with extraordinarily poor families. I've gotten comfortable with that because once you get a feel for how things work out there you can find your niche to fit in where people aren't targeting you.

I just picked up a client family on what is one of the worst blocks in the whole city, it's a total fucking mess. So my job when I get there is to first look like I know what I'm doing and not be intimidated by the dealers and addicts. Then I start to make in roads with the neighbors, introducing myself, letting people know why I'm there. Then I make peace with the dealers, to let them know I'm not there to fuck with their set up. Eventually, it's business as usual and you're part of the scenery just like anybody else. You blend in and become part of that world.

Then I get to do my job, which is to help high risk families keep from becoming homeless. How else would you do that, but man up and go out there into the danger? I guess the question you need to ask yourself is how badly do I want to help these children? Can I take a nominal risk to do something that is desperately needed and infinitely valuable to a child who doesn't have the opportunities I did?
posted by The Straightener at 7:54 AM on June 16, 2007 [2 favorites]

I know this isn't helpful, and it might be deleted, but I kind of want to give The Straightener a hug.
posted by kbanas at 7:56 AM on June 16, 2007

Ann Arbor is a pleasant college town, IMO.

I lived in Detroit for about 6 years, on Cass and Hancock. I moved there for college (CCS) from a small North Dakota town, not knowing what to expect. I never had anything scary happen to me in all the time I lived there, and I'm just a small woman.

I did have my vehicle broken into once, and stolen another time. Most people I know who lived in Detroit had at least one auto break-in. But as far as violence? No, none.

The biggest suggestion I can give is what other people have already stated. Don't go wandering around by yourself, certainly not at night. Detroit is not a city where the general population wander the streets. When I moved to Chicago, the fact that people DID...that took some growing used to.

But at the same time, I wouldn't constantly be on high alert. I think that, if anything, draws attention. Be careful, but don't act like you're expecting someone to leap out at you from behind every parked car.
posted by Windigo at 8:00 AM on June 16, 2007

The best thing to do would be to talk more to the volunteer organizations you've got in mind. You'll want to know about the conditions you'll be working in — what size groups? by day or by night? indoors or outdoors? what neighborhoods? You'll also want to know about their past experience with crime and violence, and what they've done about it.

A bad answer would be "It's not a problem — everything's perfectly safe." A good answer would be "Well, we've had trouble with X and Y in the past, we've dealt with it by doing Z and taking precautions P and Q, but you should still keep an eye out for A."

If you get a good answer, you can turn around and relay it to your parents. Emphasize the precautions the group takes and their thorough knowledge of the area. On the other hand, if you get a bad answer, find a new group to volunteer with. The other posters are right — Detroit can be very dangerous — and you ought to learn your way around from people who are alert to the danger if you want to work there at all.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:10 AM on June 16, 2007

As an aside, have you considered volunteering in Ypsilanti? There are plenty of kids there who need help, and it often doesn't get the same sort of attention Detroit does. I volunteered at the Perry School.
posted by snickerdoodle at 10:02 AM on June 16, 2007

Are you talking about volunteering in Detroit, or in the Detroit area? There is a huge difference. There is a tendency for out-of-towners to confuse "Detroit" with "Southeastern Michigan". There is a very clear border between "Detroit" and "Everywhere Else". That's not meant to be derogatory - Detroit itself created this mentality and now we're all stuck with it. :)

Detroit's borders are essentially defined by streets, the main border to the north is Eight Mile. "North of Eight Mile" is considered the suburbs, while south of Eight Mile is the City of Detroit. To the west, the border is (basically) Telegraph Road.

I live north of Eight Mile and my company is as well, but I have clients in the city, and I am no stranger to Detroit. It's fairly safe as people have defined it: stay with people, don't wander around in the neighborhoods unless you have a clear destination in mind, etc.
Southeast Michigan is a suburban area with Detroit as the most "southeastern part" of it, and Ann Arbor is on the outskirts of Southeast Michigan on the western side. I don't consider it a suburb of Detroit at all, it's a great city in its own right.

There are great suburbs all around Detroit, but they are suburbs: many have no personality (Macomb, I'm looking at you). Ann Arbor has personality. Lots of personality there.

Detroit has a thriving downtown. The Woodward Corridor is pretty grimy south of Eight Mile but when you get north of it, you get into communities like Royal Oak and Ferndale, which are trendy, fun alternatives to Ann Arbor (which is college-townish in many ways).

Southeastern Michigan has a lot of lakes. The Ann Arbor area also has a lot of lakes. If you like outdoor/water activities, you'll love it.

It is entirely possible to live in the Detroit area and never go into the City of Detroit for any reason. Many, many people live in Southeastern Michigan and will never go to Detroit. That's a shame, because it really is a very interesting place.

In all my life, I have been to "downtown" Detroit a few dozen times. I have been to various neighborhoods in Detroit many times. I have been to Ann Arbor many, many times. In all these areas, if you act as if you belong there, then you belong there, and people will leave you be. If you act the part of the scared tourist, well, your results may vary. I have never been accosted, assaulted, had any trouble with car theft or break-ins. But I'm not one to be bothered by people on the streets, and generally make it pretty clear I'm on business of my own and am not interested in anyone else's.

But Detroit is not Ann Arbor, by any stretch.
posted by disclaimer at 10:41 AM on June 16, 2007

Seconding Ypsi. The kids there are in need of help too and it is only a few minutes from AA.
posted by k8t at 11:11 AM on June 16, 2007

I'm presuming you'll be volunterring in or around Ann Arbor. Detroit city limits are some 45 minutes away from A2.

If you do plan to volunteer in the Metro area, there are plenty of organizations looking for volunteers in the surrounding suburbs; you don't have to work in the Cass Corridor to make a difference.

I grew up in Warren, lived in Detroit (Harper/Cadieux area) for seven years, and now live in Birmingham. I used to work in Detroit near Mt. Elliott and I-94, and for part of that time had to rely on the Harper bus to get me there. I walked through some extremely unsavory areas on a daily basis, but knock on wood, nothing untoward ever happened to me. Maybe it's just luck, maybe it's being aware of your environment and acting accordingly.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:24 AM on June 16, 2007

I have lived in Ypsi, downtown Detroit, the Detroit suburbs, and Ann Arbor. I've never had problems in any city. When in Detroit, however, you should stick with a group so as not to make yourself a target. Ann Arbor and Ypsi have their fair share of crime as well being college towns. But comparing Ann Arbor or Ypsi to any major urban area is a mistake as they are completely different animals.

As to the crime rate chart above, Chicago has way more people in general and way more middle-class and rich people living within the city limits than Detroit. Part of the reason Detroit's crime rate per capita is so high is because most middle-class people have left for the suburbs, leaving behind the poor in run-down neighborhoods. There are plenty of places in Chicago where you can't walk around by yourself and feel safe, and there are plenty of places in Detroit where you can walk around and feel safe. You just have to be smart about where you go.
posted by Roger Dodger at 11:25 AM on June 16, 2007

i have trouble believing an entire city would be "unsafe"
posted by Salvatorparadise at 11:35 AM on June 16, 2007

http://www.tedconline.com/uploads/DMCVB_June_Final_Report.pdf

Highlights of Reality vs. Perceptions: An Analysis of Crime and
Safety in Downtown Detroit
Embargoed until 10:30AM, June 14, 2005
1. CRIME IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT IS MUCH LOWER THAN NATIONAL,
STATE AND METRO AVERAGES
The crime rate in downtown Detroit is significantly lower than the crime rate for the
entire United States, the State of Michigan and Michigan’s largest metropolitan areas.
Specifically, in 2003 there were 3,004 serious crimes per 100,000 people reported in
downtown Detroit compared to 4,063 in the entire United States, 3,788 in Michigan and
4,085 in Michigan’s major metropolitan areas per 100,000 people. Detroit’s rate of
serious crime, therefore, is 26% below the national average.
2. DOWNTOWN DETROIT IS COMPARATIVELY SAFE…AND GETTING SAFER
During the past four years, the overall rate of serious crime in downtown Detroit has
dropped 22%, from 3,027 crimes in 2001 to 2,345 crimes in 2004. Each of the seven
categories of serious crime either fell or remained constant during the period.
3. CRIME RATE FOR MAJOR DOWNTOWN DETROIT EVENTS IS MINISCULE
To understand the risk of crime for someone attending a major downtown Detroit event,
it is necessary to include in the downtown population count the 19 million visitors who
come to the Auto Show and numerous other events each year. Doing so lowers
downtown Detroit’s crime rate to a miniscule level of 12 per 100,000 people.
4. OTHER WELL PUBLICIZED ANALYSES DO NOT PROVIDE AN ACCURATE
MEASURE OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT’S CRIME RATE, BECAUSE:
a) Estimates vs. Actual Data – Crime forecasts such as the CAP Index do not use
actual crime statistics to forecast the risk of crime in an area. Instead, they rely on
correlations between certain socio-economic factors (e.g., poverty rates, single
parent households) to predict crime. Wayne State based its analysis strictly on
Detroit Police Department crime statistics.
b) Geography – The CAP Index estimates crime based on information gathered from
Detroit’s 1st Precinct, a large area that includes high-crime residential areas
remote from downtown Detroit. Similarly, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report only
reports crime at a citywide level.
c) Downtown Population – Crime rates are typically measured in terms of incidents
per 100,000 residents. Doing so in downtown Detroit, which has only five
thousand residents, dramatically overstates the crime rate. The Wayne State
analysis includes both residents and people employed in downtown for a much
more accurate measure of downtown’s population and, hence, its crime rate.
posted by Salvatorparadise at 11:39 AM on June 16, 2007

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that getting in and out of Detroit proper takes preparation. It's a fairly decently planned city (it's no Salt Lake City, but it's not a jumbled mess of streets either), but the highways running in, out and around are constantly under construction. When I lived in the metro area, it wasn't unusual for an entire stretch of highway to be shut down due to construction.

If you've got somewhere to go, talk to someone at the destination about your intended route first. The last thing you want is to be re-routed into a strange neighborhood where you don't feel safe stopping and asking anyone for directions. Ask again about your route going home too. In some neighborhoods, getting back on the highway isn't as intuitive as it should be.

Side notes:

1. Learn to drive as if you're a running back trying to break away from a pack of tacklers, if you don't have that ability already. It's the preferred method of driving amongst most commuters in SE-MI, and in a pack of aggressive drivers it's always the cautious and too-slow people who end up causing the most frustration and accident scenarios.

2. Try not to have your car crap out on you across the street from the crackhouse where Malice Green was beaten to death on a Sunday evening, only to have to call a rogue towtruck who makes it his first priority to show you his gun so you don't think of effing with him while he's working. I say this one from personal experience.
posted by peacecorn at 12:02 PM on June 16, 2007

Ann Arbor is a college town. It's nice! (And there's Zingerman's Deli . . .)
posted by 6:1 at 3:15 PM on June 16, 2007

If you want some info regarding volunteering in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area, e/mail me. I'm the director of a non-profit program that works with at-risk youth (Washtenaw County area). I could put you in touch with a number of organizations in the area.
posted by HuronBob at 5:50 PM on June 16, 2007

I was raised in the middle-of-nowhere, Michigan, currently live in Ypsi, and have lived in Hamtramck (a small city within the city of Detroit) and Ann Arbor previously. What organizations are you thinking about volunteering at, and where would you be working (street addresses would help, my email's in profile)? There are definitely some bad, bad neighborhoods... but I don't know that the organizations you're thinking of would locate their offices in these areas or not. Car break-ins and slightly sketchy homeless folks were the extent of most of my/my friends scary Detroit moments.

If you still think this is an issue, there are definitely lots and lots of places to volunteer in Washtenaw county, including Ypsilanti.
posted by sluggo at 10:04 AM on June 18, 2007

I've wandered alone through most of the neighborhoods of Detroit and there are clearly some that are way worse than others. So just choose not to work in a neighborhood that is below your comfort threshold. The same would go for working in our nation's capital, Atlanta, Baltimore, Memphis, pre-Katrina New Orleans, Miami, St. Louis, etc. which are all large cities with similar (if not worse in some ways) crime rates which people in general were more willing to visit because Detroit has a perception problem more than those cities. I think the rate of carjackings and murders against groups of volunteers is going to be low anywhere you go. The rate is already lower in the downtown Detroit area than the national average. Lower than suburbia.

I feel pretty safe where I live in Chicago and according to the statistics I should feel half as likely to be murdered here than in Detroit. But crime here is extremely unevenly distributed and someone who assumes they're safer anywhere on the south side of Chicago than in a normal neighborhood in Detroit is sadly mistaken.
posted by tomo at 9:07 AM on June 20, 2007