Ann English

Fri, Dec 21, 2012 : 11:12 p.m.

I wonder if police helicopters could help catch burglars who break into homes on dead-end roads, like Dhu Varren Road is. I know, it has two dead ends, one on each side of US-23. But the more directions police can approach a burglar from, the better. The other break-in took place very near a road named after Mother Theresa; I wonder if that burglar thought he would be more likely to be "tolerated," or given more leniency, in that area.

FormerMichRes

Fri, Dec 21, 2012 : 11:54 a.m.

Having lived in Ann Arbor for a number of years until moving away, I noticed a couple of disquieting trends. A2 is a very friendly place to panhandlers, street people, drifters, etc. And, the population of these types have skyrocketed over the last few years. They've literally taken over places like Liberty Plaza. I visited last Summer and was panhandled every block ... and heckled by your shadow City Council members meeting at Liberty Plaza. One has got to believe that after hanging out at Liberty Plaza ... and every corner/intersection in the City panhandling during the day, these individuals and like minded folks from nearby communities are planning their home invasions by night. Short-term ... as others have said ... lock your doors and consider bars on your windows. Ann Arborites have let this crime problem spiral out of control over the years. The only way to fix it is to put a stop to the revolving door justice system in A2 and Washtenaw County. Start electing tough on crime politicians, including judges. Yes, you may have to elect a few Repulicans to get the job done. Look to the east at Detroit ... that may be your future Ann Arborites. YOU still have time ... but not a lot.

hmsp

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 : 10:05 p.m.

@ cibachrome, re: "B & E (now fashionably called 'home invasion')..." I don't know about "fashionably," but I do know that the term is used this way only in Michigan, after some "Tough On Crime" Michigan politicians decided to rename it, back in the mid-90s. Like "Right To Work," and "Death Tax, it is a made-up phrase, designed around a specific political agenda, and should be treated as such. The rest of the country uses the phrase "Home Invasion" to describe what it used to describe, the almost-always-armed invasion of an OCCUPIED dwelling, quite often complete with duct-tape binding-and-gagging, and accompanied by at least the threat of even more violence against the occupants. When I pointed this out to aa.com once, they replied, "Your suggestion to run a story regarding police terminology is a good idea and we'll consider it for future coverage," but, "Your comment has been hidden from the actual story to keep the conversation on track..." I'm still waiting for that "future coverage."

LXIX

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 : 9:28 p.m.

In this age of plastic why do so many victims of home invasion lose cash? Other than the spare change jar it seems like everyone but me has read the same book about disaster preparedness. Advising people to keep a cache of bills at home - just in case. Is the author by any chance local?

cibachrome

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.

How exactly would you suggest that a government (city, county or state) solve this problem? Police respond to take a crime report. That's all they can do. Judges let the perpetrators off with a light or meaningless sentence. That's all they can or want to do. Lawyers get the criminals reduced sentenses on technicalities . Ultimately, the protection of your stuff is in your hands. If you had a Neighborhood Watch that might shoo troublemakers away. If you had gates and good fences around your place, that might make some crooks go on to another home. If you had a watch dog, that could get your dog hurt. If you have some time to stay at home and see all the people cruising around looking for opportunities, it might be worthwhile, but keep you busy. They have so many excuses: I'm looking for a donation. I'm selling windows. I'm looking for Frankie. Have you seen my lost weather balloon? I'm here to read your meter. Can you help me with Easter presents? How good is your vacuum cleaner? Get a face. Get a license plate. Get into action. More police won't help. Camp out at a pawn shop and look for your stuff (Oh yeah, i know, they have to report all their transactions....) B & E (now fashionably called 'home invasion') is a profitable job. Marketting thru Craigslist and eBay, no taxes, little chance of punishment, fashionable redistribution. It all makes perfect sense, eh?

Westfringe

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.

ENOUGH! Something must be done to address this constant rate of home invasions or citizens will begin taking matters into their own hands. Our justice system is ineffectual and our police under staffed, something needs to change. The A2 govt. needs to stop wasting money on ugly overpriced art and useless studies and start protecting us.