Downtown Ann Arbor jewelers Schlanderer & Sons robbed Thursday afternoon
Downtown Ann Arbor jewelry store Schlanderer & Sons was robbed Thursday afternoon, Ann Arbor police say.
Lt. Angella Abrams said the department responded to a report of a robbery after 4 p.m. Thursday at the store, 208 S. Main St. She said more details on the incident were not available at about 5 p.m. Thursday because all of the officers responding to the incident were still out on the road.
Abrams confirmed reports that watches had been stolen from the store. Abrams was not able to say how many watches had been stolen or the value of the watches.
A clerk at Schlanderer & Sons declined comment when reached by AnnArbor.com just before 5 p.m. Thursday. Abrams directed questions to the store until police were able to get more information.
When reached by AnnArbor.com just after 5:30 p.m., Abrams said more information on the robbery is not expected to be released until later on tonight or early tomorrow morning.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
omniskeptic
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 10:17 p.m.
The problem, in my opinion, is not general cuts in cops, but specifically cutting the foot or (sigh, I guess) bicycle patrols downtown. I don't think they were popular with the officers who were assigned, but I've never heard much complaint about them from the business owners. I felt better, anyway, sitting at a sidewalk table, with the occasional pair of flatfeet (or would that be a quartet of 'em?) strolling around. Don't know whether that would have helped in this case or not, but I think so.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 2:21 a.m.
you hit that nail on the head!
Hmm
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:54 p.m.
Saw units responding to this call yesterday afternoon.
Roaring_Chicken
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.
It won't be parking rates that drive people out of downtown A2 but the impression of lawlessness and personal peril.
KJMClark
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
Yow, broad daylight too. That's pretty brazen. Do they have one of those buttons they show bank clerks pushing in movies? That call the police right away when something like that happens? Do those things really exist?
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
I don't know if those buttons exist but I do hear the police get a lot of false alarm calls at residences when listening on the scanner. This takes them away from more important things in my opinion. Too often you hear things like "the kids did it". They try to call but usually don't get anyone to answer the phone.
Roy Munson
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.
They need to provide a deterrent. Make this place known as a place where these gangsters DO NOT want to do their "business." Right now there is no deterrent whatsoever. It is the total opposite. Pitifully weak judges, lowered police presence, etc. make it well known this is the place to be.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 5:46 p.m.
A2 is widely known as a city with victim mentality...don't want to offend the criminals...and will continue to be that way. Thank goodness some perps are just too stupid to walk [or run] and chew gum at the same time.
Lou Perry
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:54 p.m.
Let's keep reducing the Ann Arbor Police Department ranks. Ann Arbor please realize we don't live in Fairyland anymore.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
we don't?
a2roots
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.
The number of police on the street would have absolutely no bearing on whether or not robberies of this type occur. This is at least the 2nd time this store was robbed and prior to closing their South U. store was robbed at least one time leaving Paul beaten badly. Crooks are crooks and will do their dirty deeds.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 2:19 a.m.
the South U store was not connected to this store.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
If we had a regular downtown beat cop, this wouldn't have happened. I bet my life on it.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:29 p.m.
2nd time this year and all we got going on is City Council passing pedestrian ordinances and cutting police and fire? God, Ann Arbor is becoming the Twilight Zone.
Alan Goldsmith
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:25 p.m.
Let me tell you how this plays out. In a city where the Mayor is...let's just say, not very skilled and babbles about being 'comfortable' with police cuts and tells us stories about cars stopping for deer and squirrels while robberies like this are repeated downtown on a regular basis, eventually long time businesses like this will give up and close their doors because of the lack of safety and focus on basic city services. Maybe we can have a city employee who wields a clipboard and counts the percentage of cars stopping at crosswalks on Plymouth Road fired and replaced by an additional cop. Or the 'arts' coordinator?
Roy Munson
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.
Welcome to Flint.
Carole
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 11:42 a.m.
Yes, it was the second time and not a very long period of time. I am so sorry to hear of this because they are one of the finest shops on Main St. Hope they fine the idiots who did it. And, hope all the staff at store are a-okay.
Bear
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 7:32 a.m.
And I suppose a lot of you complaining about an inadequate police force think that if we had enough police around no crime would happen and what little crime did happen would be quickly & automatically apprehended? No, that is a fantasy. You would all be complaining about cops who ticketed you for blocking main st. downtown during the rush hour and weekends, when you think you own the road and are the only one's on it who matter. Or are told to 'move along' even when you have a constitutional right to be where you are at. How many policemen are enough? Or is that some little, fictional, ever-changing number in your head? I seriously don't think that any of you complaining about 'not enough cops' and pointing at every crime committed as 'proof' need your heads examined, because there will never be enough police to satisfy your need for 'feeling' secure. I say 'feel' because there is actually NO WAY, you can EVER be %100 safe and lead a normal life. If the president can be assassinated, then no one is safe. Ever. Got it? So, stop with the complaints, they are ignorant at best.
HardWorker
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:03 p.m.
I agree. Cops do an excellent job. The problem is that a judge usually releases these criminals just because. This results in parolees with large criminal history who keep it up with more crime, killing, dealing with drugs, leading car chases and the like. A cop puts his/her life at risk. The judge mostly reverses what the police accomplished and grants another probation to the criminal. The system that ties its own hands.
Bear
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 7:43 a.m.
Correction: I think you DO need to have your heads examined. I don't think that you know what you are talking about and are speaking out arbitrarily with no facts to back up your accusations. I suppose this place was a lot safer back in the good ol' 70's. with the likes of Coral Watts, Ted Bundy & John Norman Collins around. I suppose more cops would've made all the difference then and would've been welcome for the next 30 or 40 years. This town had a lot of cops for the past decade. Too many. They spent a lot of time harassing citizens and being the subject of many lawsuits that this town has faced, lost & paid out on. Maybe that's one reason why you don't want too many police in a town. They tend to get out of hand. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the job that most of our officers do. I call them without hesitation when something bad is happening. Their response time is great and they perform their duties in a professional manner. But this ridiculous call for MORE police is just plain stupid and not supported by the facts. anyways, enough is enough. Good night, & good luck!
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 7:25 a.m.
About 4:30 PM, I was walking East on William and noticed: an AAPD officer inspecting the interior of a white mid-size sedan which, apparently, had been left on the west-bound lane of William - but it was "pointed" eastward. In the time it took to walk from Main to 4th (less than 2 min.), two more police cars showed up and officers from those cars joined the original one. Just guessing: I now think this may have been the intended get away car of those who robbed Schlanderer & Sons. Perhaps we'll be hearing more about this. BTW: just observing - it took three cars, each driven by a single officer to "deliver" three officers to that scene. It seems that Ann Arbor no longer has the police manpower to have 2 officers in a single patrol car. How "great" is that part of Snyder's "cut the fat" policy? Don't blame the mayor for this: this is - by their own pronouncements - entirely the baby of Republican "Geniuses." After the first robbery of Schlanderer & Sons last summer, I had the chance to talk to the officer who first arrived on the scene: she was alone facing multiple suspects. She said: "All I could think of as I got out of the car was my kids at home." Will it take the death of one of our AAPD officers (possibly one who will leave children) before we "get it" about Republican "government reduction?" Those of us who gripe about reduction of "their protection" might do better to consider what our singly dispatched officers face on every robbery and assault call. If we don't "consider" this: we can be sure that NO Republicans will either.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.
@andy jacobs are expensive Volvo's, Subaru's, Beemers, Mercedes...etc an affront in this economy as well? Ban all jewelry stores, high end clothing stores, car dealerships that sell anything over $15K cars, homes with more bathrooms than necessary...we live in a free society...we can strive to make our lives as bountiful as we want with the amount of work effort we put in.
tinkerbell
Sat, Nov 12, 2011 : 6 a.m.
Robbery is most definitely a violent crime
goosenews
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
BTW: just observing that Tru2Blu76 has no idea that the city is governed by democrats.
Soothslayer
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:30 p.m.
Apparently there was no violence, at least it wasn't reported. The police's job is not as 24 hr security for businesses, not on the taxpayers dime anyway. Jewlrey stores are quite an affront to my sensibilities in this economy. Check ebay or local pawn shops for the goods, they'll have to be unloaded somewhere.
BigMike
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.
You do realize that Ann Arbor Police staffing levels are determined by local government rather than State government, right?
Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
Yes again ! Not in Ypsilanti but the very heart of Ann Arbor this time. You know good ole Mayberry where thing like this just never happen ! I think this paper would be doing the people of Ann Arbor a service if they took that reporter that sits in the Courthouse everyday, handpicking petty crimes in Ypsi to write about and had him start telling the people what is going on in their own back yards. There is obviously a problem with a growing crime rate in A2. Not reporting this with equal journalism is leaving a city full of people with a false sense of security. Especially the students that come here with the vision A2 is a perfectly safe place. It not and people should be aware of this instead of pretending it's all good in A2.
Jimmy McNulty
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:51 p.m.
I agree that Ypsi gets the fecal end of the stick sometimes, and I do like to call out the Ypsi-bashers, but the perception is that A2 is still safer than Ypsi, regardless of the smash-and-grab. I'm a fairly big guy, but there are some hoods in the Ypsi area where I do not feel safe. Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you look at it), I cannot say the same for A2.
EyeHeartA2
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 4:29 a.m.
Yep, then the perps ran back to their house on the old west side. Ya think?
utownie
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:09 a.m.
Call the environmental coordinator! Call the parks department! Call the tree director! Call the bike coordinator! Calling all cars, report to downtown to stop a robbery. We need more police before we find lots of criminals wanting to take advantage of our low staffing levels. It could become a very serious problem.
KJMClark
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
Um, we haven't had a bike coordinator in a decade. Do you think we should have called the director of Homeland Security too? How many police do you think it takes to respond to a robbery? Sounds like there were at least three at the scene pretty quickly.
Soothslayer
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:27 p.m.
That's what insurance is for. Less cost than hiring more cops and not on the taxpayers back. Unless you're into the Fahrenheit 451 & Chicken Little conspiracy theories.
Jeff Gaynor
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:22 a.m.
Yes, the 2nd in my memory as well. Schlanderer's is the best - nicest and most helpful staff - and reminds me of the old days when you would go into a store and be happy to see people who waited on you year after year with patience, expertise and skill. A number of times they have spent 10-20 minutes fixing an article of mine, and then charged me 1 or 2 dollars.
djm12652
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:09 a.m.
A clerk said declined comment? Who in the hell talks like that? Perhaps there was a bad connection or is that just bad reporting and/or journalism?
Jen Eyer
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 2:40 a.m.
That was a typo, and it has been fixed. Thanks for pointing it out.
scott
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:44 a.m.
Who in the hell.....how ironic....
djm12652
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:35 a.m.
Marilyn...I was actually questioning the copy as typed not what was or was not said...re-read what Kyle or whomever typed...my question is...did the clerk decline comment or did the clerk say no comment? Just sloppy reporting.
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:13 a.m.
They were still dealing with it. Officer's had not reported back yet evidentally. But I do love your doggy pic.
nickcarraweigh
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:03 a.m.
Where did the thieves park the getaway car?
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
probably cheaper rates than any flat lot...
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:12 a.m.
in the structure!
Marilyn Wilkie
Thu, Nov 10, 2011 : 11:46 p.m.
Heard the whole thing on the scanner. Good job by the AAPD.
Youwhine
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 4:21 a.m.
Did they catch them?
SonnyDog09
Thu, Nov 10, 2011 : 11:20 p.m.
As long as hizzoner is comfortable, a little bit of crime is nothing to be concerned about.
djm12652
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
exactamundo....but so glad there's no beat cops anymore to impede criminals from trying to getaway with their crimes! Those cops...they just cramp a thug's style!
golfer
Thu, Nov 10, 2011 : 10:52 p.m.
this place has been robbed so many times. i think they need to hire a security guard with a gun. not some older person but a young guy.
djm12652
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
@sallyxyz...really? Do you know what the insurance costs are and what the deductibles are and time and costs and lost revenue spent closed to deal with law enforcement, or the costs of employees spent dealing with the issue? Easy to judge....
Sallyxyz
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.
The security with the gun in the lobby would likely deter many criminals from even attempting a robbery. This store needs to hire security now, unless it just wants to wait until someone working there is injured in one of these criminal acts. Maybe it's cheaper to just have the insurance take care of losses and keep the profits higher, rather than hiring security.
Youwhine
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 4:20 a.m.
Sure, but they better get rid of any surveillance cameras to avoid getting themselves in trouble. Let's say you get a smash and grab, like you comonly get in larger cities. The thieves run into the store and make no threats, no advances, no attacks on anybody in the store. They simply start smashing open the cases (with say a crow bar) and snatching all of the expensive jewelry. Your young, minimum wage, security guard has no justification in shooting them unless you can reasonably articulate that people felt that lives were at risk. And in A2, you aren't going to get a lot of sympathy from the prosecutors or judges on this one. YOu might save a watch or two, but somebody is going to prison. I know there are a lot of regular posters no here who just CANNOT WAIT to shoot and kill somebody to prove a point, but I hate to tell you that a gun is not a justifiable solution to every crime.
Mr. Ed
Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 12:16 a.m.
Age discrimination
Adam
Thu, Nov 10, 2011 : 11:08 p.m.
This is the second time in recent memory. However, before that I think it had been quite a long period of time since the last one. I could be wrong though.
Buster W.
Thu, Nov 10, 2011 : 10:42 p.m.
Not again!!