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Monday, 2 November, 2009 9:00 PM

Flint needs to seriously solve its high crime problem

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com Welcome to Flint, more like welcome to a crime-filled city.

by Jason Rzucidlo americajr@americajr.com

FLINT, Mich. -- Many people know Flint, Michigan as the home of General Motors and the birthplace of filmmaker Michael Moore. But did you know that Flint also has a large crime problem? Although the records may show that crime is on a slight decline, it is still higher than in most cities. Some websites are selling t-shirts that say Flint is ranked number two for violent crime in the U.S. Flint is consistenly ranked in the top five for high crime in the nation. Police need to get a handle on the situation fast.

In 2008, there were 35 murders, 91 rapes, 721 robberies, 1,629 aggrivated assaults, 3,336 burglaries, 2,765 larcenies, 936 auto thefts and 163 reported cases of arson, according to the Flint Police website. Althrough the number of aggrivated assaults, arsons and larcenies, are down slightly, all other forms of crime are up in the city.

Some say the reason for Flint's high crime is due to the lack of jobs and the closing of factories by the big three automakers. That is no excuse to let it happen. Maybe Flint needs to pool resources with other cities in Genesee County or call in the county sheriffs to help lower the crime.

News people are not supposed to become part of the story. Unfortunately, I was caught in an unlikely situation. I recently attended a country music concert at The Whiting Auditorium in Flint. The concert was great and I really congratulate the staff for their hospitality. However, when I returned to my vehicle, I learned that my Garmin GPS device was stolen. The doors to my car were unlocked. Some of the items in my back seat were all spread out in different places. It looked like someone was searching for an item of value to take with them.

I happened to notice a 40-year-old man or woman who was riding their bike through the parking lot. I am not sure if this is the correct person who stole my GPS or not. The individual was riding an old-fashioned one-speed bike and was carrying a white grocery bag that read "Thank You." The individual was Caucasian, wearing blue pajamas, a hat, eyeglasses and had curly hair.

I filed a police report with the Flint Police. I had to wake up the officer who was sleeping inside his cruiser on the job! He said another person had an item stolen from the same parking lot. I noticed another person needed a jump start at the end of the concert. Police said the venue does not have surveillance cameras. I would recommend that all businesses in the Flint area invest in them. As one of the highest crime-filled cities in the country, it will definitely pay for itself in the long run.

According to an article on MLive.com, the city of Flint recently hired six new officers. But where are they???

When visiting the city of Flint, do not bring anything valuable with you. It could get stolen. Wear a bulletproof vest if you have one.

In a response to this article, we received this e-mail from the Whiting Auditorium: "I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. Unfortunately, we are in the city and as with any other city, we encourage you to lock your doors and stow your valuables from sight. We are a non-profit organization, and we are indeed trying to get funding for cameras. We also do have the Mott Security and UM-Flint Security vehicles patrol the parking lot before, during and after the show. I read your article and you stated the officer was asleep, which in completely unacceptable, and we are looking into the situation. I can tell you that I've been parking in that lot for over 5 years and have never had an incident, but like I said, this could happen anywhere. It's just an unfortunate thing to happen, you were my guest and I'm sorry this has happened to you. I hope it will not discourage you from coming to our venue in the future, The Whiting is a wonderful place to visit and we do offer great entertainment options for our community." - Wendi Fournier / The Whiting Auditorium

 

Photo credit: Amazon.com

I miss my Garmin nuvi 200W.