‘They’re being preyed on’
Detroit’s population has dwindled to about 700,000, but police and union officials point out officers still must patrol the city’s 143 square miles.
Detroit’s violent crime rate of 45 per 100,000 residents, the highest in the United States last year, is about the same as it was during the mid-1970s, when the city was known as the Murder Capital, and the police department had about 4,000 officers to serve 1.5 million residents.
Currently, there are 448 citizens for every officer, as opposed to in the 1970s, when the citizen-to-officer ratio was around 380. But former Detroit Police officer David Malhalab said the ratio of criminals to law-abiding citizens has increased since then.
“A lot of families who had the means moved out to get away from the crumbling schools and high-crime neighborhoods,” said Malhalab, a 23-year police veteran. “That left behind a lot of criminals, and the poor residents who couldn’t afford to move. They’re being preyed on by the criminals.”
Rutyna said he’d like to see more officers patrolling.
“When I was a kid, you’d see them two at a time walking the beat on Seven Mile,” he said. “But those days are long gone. You’ve got to be realistic. Just seeing a car come by more often would be a good start.”
Article Appeared @http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/07/08/detroit-cops/29896105/