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Posted on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 6 a.m.

New Ypsilanti police patrol focuses on downtown, Depot Town

By Tom Perkins

Ypsilanti city officials are praising the results of a new police patrol devoted to downtown Ypsilanti, Depot Town and West Cross Street.

Officer Richard Houk started the beat on July 10 and has worked closely with the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority and local business owners to make his presence known in the community, officials say.

Houk’s position was created as the City Council developed a budget in June that originally called for shedding five officers from the force. In the end, the city cut 2.5 positions.

POLICE05 1-2 AW.JPG.jpeg

Ypsilanti police officers patrol Michigan Avenue in this file photo.

The DDA will pay for half of Houk’s annual salary, totaling $60,000 over the two-year contract. The city will pay the other $60,000.

“I’ve heard nothing but positive,” DDA Director Tim Colbeck said. “People are so happy to see that regular police presence. The actual idea that there's an officer walking down the street makes a huge impression of improvement. When business owners or restaurant owners see him they go 'Hey, look at that!’ It’s nice.”

One of the focuses has been the downtown Ypsilanti Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus stop, where Houk told council members he often parks before going on foot patrol. Houk said he changes his routes and times so no one knows when he will return or figure out a pattern to his rounds.

Houk now works from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, but Ypsilanti Police Chief Amy Walker said those hours could change as needed. Walker added two neighborhood patrols also cover the same areas, so there are multiple shifts and officers keeping watch on the districts.

Houk told the City Council he met with each of the business owners to introduce himself and collect personal contact information in case of an after hours emergency.

Council Member Brian Robb commended Houk for that action.

“You will have support for the rest of the time you are here,” he said.

Walker called the beat a success so far.

“It’s a plus for the businesses, it’s a plus for us, it helps that whole area,” she said.

Colbeck said Houk has also been meeting with business owners who might have a special request. He recalled an example of a car that was parking in front of a business trash bin overnight. It prevented the garbage truck access, but instead of calling the tow company, Houk was able to run the car owner's plates, retrieve a phone number and easily resolve the issue.

Houk said he said he has noticed an impact already and reported fewer calls and loitering while he is on duty. Although no statistics were provided, Colbeck said there is evidence the beat is a success.

“There is an impact just because people are talking about it, and that’s half of it right there,” he said. "Right now people have a positive feeling about it.”

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.

Comments

David Cahill

Sat, Aug 21, 2010 : 9:14 a.m.

This is a very good move for Ypsilanti! That city has its policing priorities straight.

snapshot

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 10:55 p.m.

Good for Ypsi. I like the Ypsi downtown and the businesses more so than Ann Arbor. The folks are friendly, the food is good, the parking is way better, and the prices are reasonable. I'm thinking of selling my Ann Arbor home and moving there. I'm glad to hear the city is taking an interest in promoting a more positive image with a police presence. Good job Ypsi!!!

chucklk

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:45 p.m.

$60000/yr sounds like extortion to me

Silly Sally

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:17 p.m.

@"chucklk" "f we just compensate the victims of the thefts we would come out ahead." What a silly idea. Paying extortion. It will only get worse. And if someone is raped, beat up, stabbed or killed, how will money compensate for that? It won't. The future President Thomas Jefferson in 1794 convinced Congress to refuse to pay extortion to the Barbary pirates in Libya so Congress started the US Navy. He said something similar to "Dollars foe defense, but not one cent for extortion"

chucklk

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 7:42 p.m.

who's stealing from whom. $60000/yr. How many stick ups would this represent? If we just compensate the victims of the thefts we would come out ahead.

fremdfirma

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 3:51 p.m.

While not extortion it certainly has the potential for it, but honestly people are starting to question the wisdom of paying for police protection they just don't get, which, along with extremely enthusiastic traffic enforcement at the expense of community protection because the former puts money in their budget while the latter does not - has made residents rather more tolerant of the idea of cutting police budgets, especially given that some of that enforcement is quite questionable given that many speed limits in and around Ann Arbor have been proven to be set too low. This, and other behavior, causes neighborhoods to question the legitimacy of police as a whole, eventually leading to a lack of trust which can become very adversarial between a neighborhood and the police tasked with protecting it - it is somewhat hard to justify paying for police services when the only service you are ever likely to receive in a timely manner is an undeserved traffic citation. That said, this is not that bad of an idea, however it does not seem cost effective in light of what some communities in the area have done, which is hire contract security. (Disclaimer: This is what I do for a living) The best use of this is for both the guards and the police to dispense with a certain antagonism for each other and cooperate, with the contract people serving as eyes and ears and the police functioning as a response force for something that actually needs intervention beyond a quiet word or stern reminder - this is very cost effective since contract guards are generally cheaper and can be held accountable much faster for any untoward behavior, while preserving police resources for when they are actually needed. However this presumes a level of cooperation between contract personnel and police along with a very clear definition of the responsibilities of each, which is a worthy goal if it can be achieved. My other concern is that what happened with baltimore city, MD and it's inner harbor police may happen here, as they are very hostile towards the citizens of the very city that pays them and the prevailing attitude towards non-tourists has made residents of that city feel very unwelcome, so special attention should be paid to that potential problem to nip it in the bud if it ever rears its head.

Cash

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 1:47 p.m.

And it's a great idea, Pete!! Thanks for the information!

Pete Murdock

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 1:37 p.m.

A couple of points: The money the DDA used for their half of the cost of the officer IS tax money paid by DDA property owners. It is taxes that are mostly diverted from the Citys General Fund through DDA Tax Increment Financing and if there was no DDA would have been available for the City to spend. The DDA districts get all the police services that any place else in the City gets. This particular officer is a designated officer for the DDA areas. No such officer exists anywhere else in the City and it is entirely appropriate for the DDA to use its tax funds to provide additional police services to address their particular concerns. A choice made by the DDA board, not extorted. And yes it would not have happened if the City and DDA had not agreed on the need and shared the funding. The schedule of this officer is a work in progress. Obviously one officer is not going to provide 24-7 service in all three of the DDA districts, but it will have a visible presence. The original schedule was to allow for Officer Houk to acquaint himself with the various business owners and others in the area. The schedule will be reviewed as circumstances warrant. In addition the Neighborhood Policing Team (NPT), also recently saved from the budgetary chopping block, is available in a later shift to patrol these areas as well. The commitment was for two years shared between the City and the DDA. The cost of the fully loaded police officer with all benefits is $60K annually two years equal $120K. Lastly, the creation and funding of this position was supported by the Mayor and all of City Council, the DDA and the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti.

Cash

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 1:07 p.m.

It's great that the downtown is getting some much needed attention. I love downtown but I feel so badly for the business folks there, trying so hard to make a living. They have a constant battle with crime. I would agree that it's a shame this service can't be provided by the taxes they already pay, especially when they are having a hard time drawing customers as it is. Please those who are Ypsi folks, visit the down town establishments and give them a boost. It's up to us to make the area viable.

gibby76

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 12:41 p.m.

yea $60K still a nice coosh so he can have a nice house in Milan or whatever hamlet outside the city :P @rasputin and jinx -- nice way btw to lump EVERYONE that lives south of town into one category. So I guess you'd say there's no regular citizens down there that are around to report any crimes. Attempting to distort the statistics to say no one's reporting crimes down there, is a false read. Cops know how to trace people to their origins. Oh this guy is gonna be like Charles Bronson in Death wish!!

CountyKate

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 12:40 p.m.

Rasputin, you spent the late 1990s living in Depot Town and you expect things to stay the same 10 to 12 years later? Sorry, but Lorie is right - there are hot spots and sometimes the hot spots move. AnnouncerMan, MacArthur Blvd. is not part of Ypsilanti. It's in Superior Township, therefore patrolled by the sheriff's department. AA, you probably haven't spent much time in Ypsi, if you haven't seen patrol cars. I've lived here for over 20 years and I can tell you they are prevalent. This patrol is a good thing for Ypsi and all anyone here can do is complain. Nice.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : noon

And that $60k a year almost certainly includes things like benefits and payroll taxes and other costs and isn't the actual salary of the officer.

A2 is a Utopia

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 11:38 a.m.

to the posters who think it is $120,000 a year need to read the article again. It is a two year contract for a total of $120,000 or $60,000 a year. "The DDA will pay for half of Houks annual salary, totaling $60,000 over the two-year contract. The city will pay the other $60,000."

jinxplayer

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 11:13 a.m.

jjc155, Thats because the residents south of michigan ave travel north.

jjc155

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 11:03 a.m.

@annaouncer nope these stats are for crimes occuring with in the city of ypsilanti proper, nothing outside of the limits (they excude what is on EMU owned property too). you can also adjust the stats map for any time period you want, I just posted the stats for 6/14-8/13 (two full months) as that was what the map was defaulted too when I looked at it. I'm sure with some google'in someone (other than me, lol) could come up with per capita north vs south side crime rates to see if that makes a difference ( i suspect it would not) but since we are talking about appearance of crime, does it matter? Do you really care that per capita there were more burglaries on one side or the other or does it matter more that you live in the north (or south side) and there are more burglaries occuring around where u geogaphically live? @rasputin, not even sure where to start with u, LOL. Perhaps see if you can go along with YPD for a ridealong to see for yourself or attend the citizen police academy if they do it again.

bunnyabbot

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 10:55 a.m.

oh, ypsilanti ADDED a beat cop but A2 cut all their beat cops (grr) as a business owner I want my beat cops back!

pseudo

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 10:53 a.m.

I have a question about the article and a statement about the Michigan Ave Thread: 1) @AnnArobr.com are you trying to tell us that SALARY for cops in Ypsilanti is $120,000 a year or the cost of a police officer is that much with benefits. I doubt these guys are getting paid that much and if they are, Ypsilanti NEEDs to have another budget discussion because that is way too much for salary/paid compensation. @Thread for criminals living South of Michigan Ave...um as much as I would love to say that crime and criminals are evenly spread through out the our city...they aren't. There are hot spot locations where folks live and there are locations where crimes of various kinds happen - say, as an example, a party store on Michigan ave by first and/or summit might possibly have a whole bunch of drug dealing and maybe these people LIVE south of Michigan ave (say by a block or two). Or as another example. That said there might be a similar situation say on Prospect NORTH of Michigan Ave...with those criminals possibly living within a block or two...hard to know, just examples for the conversation.

dading dont delete me bro

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 10:34 a.m.

@aa, i see them quite often. cruise down michigan ave, huron, washtenaw. you'll see them off the side streets too from those mains. don't know where you're looking.

AA

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:58 a.m.

I have lived and worked in the A2~Ypsi area my entire adult life. I can't count on one hand how many times (outside of public events) that I have seen an Ypsilanti police person or police car patrolling anywhere. I could not even describe what the Ypsilanti police car looks like.

gibby76

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:38 a.m.

@jjc so true. Actually, south of Mich ave is the beginnings of the suburban growth outside the city limits and the ill-begotten water street area. I'd be more worried there getting hit by a car then getting mugged, or worse.

Jay Allen

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:34 a.m.

@glimmertwin. With all of the financial woes and hence the cutbacks in LE, I can see why EXTRA monet is needed for a specialty patrol. Ask the voters in York Twp. They pay specifically for a WCSD to patrol the area. Yes, Depot Town (etc) is in Ypsilanti proper and YES YPD could/would patrol there. However, if you wish to have a larger presence than financially can be supported, then step up to the plate and get out your checkbook. I agree 100% with this. Kuddos to all involved. @jjc155. I agree with the stats, it is not open for debate. However, I would ask the following questions and/or make the following points; -Instead of stats for the week, I would inquire in the stats for year running. -What is the population differences in the "north" vs the "south". More people = more crime. It would become a crime per capita, right? -Does this include the Mac Arthur Blvd area? Again, I am debating or disputing, just asking for clarification as I would have "thought" as well that "south" of Michigan ave is not the area to go camping! LOL

Rasputin

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:25 a.m.

No offense to anyone, but yeah, my comment was a bit loaded. I spent the late 90s living in Depot Town (Cross Street) and EVERYONE of my neighbors concurred that South of Michigan Avenue was more dangerous and it was ill advised to venture there after hours, unless you were a prostitute, pimp, gang banger, or drug dealer. As to statistics pointing to higher reports coming from the north of Michigan, why would criminals call the cops to report crimes? Ah, they wouldn't, but more vigilant neighbors and property owners would living NORTH of Michigan Avenue, hence the statistical higher percentage of calls and reports coming from the north side of Michigan.

gibby76

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:17 a.m.

It's good to see some coverage as opposed to basically none. where they get this guy they had to pay 120k for him? seems like you could get 3 beat cops working 40k, more then enough for living in the ypsi area--- oh wait! why would they want to live in Ypsi! silly me :P

jjc155

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:16 a.m.

@jinx I'll save you the "trip" (but feel free to confirm these). Off of the YPD website for stats from 6/14-8/13/2010 the break down is as followes (anything right on the line and not readily discernible I added to the south side stats to help you out, LOL). North of michigan ave: South of Michigan Ave: Assaults: 5 5 Burglary: 22 10 CSC: 4 0 Larceny from auto: 9 7 Vehicle theft: 12 1 Murder: 0 0 Armed robbery: 4 3 So based on the stats, that are readily available on the YPD website not only does the side north of Mich ave have more crime in general, there is more violent crime north of the Michigan ave as well. reply?

jjc155

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:01 a.m.

@jinx I have lived in Ypsilanti for 20 years so yes I know what I am talking about. Actually I would think that if you were pull crime stats and look at nothing other than that, you would find that there are more calls for service north of michigan ave than south of michigan ave, the same would ring true for arrests. Heck two out of the last three homicides in the City have happened north of Michigan ave btw. Dont believe me, feel free to play around with the crime mapping and stats set up on the YPD website. http://geodata.acad.emich.edu/Crime/Main.htm play around and then try to prove me wrong with stats. Enjoy

glimmertwin

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.

Would they have got the police enforcement had they not paid extra money, other than their tax dollars? Money or else. Sounds like a form of extortion to me. If you want to get what you already paid for, pay more. And I don't blame anything on the police. I blame the politicians who squander money on things other than what really necessary. For example, how's that River Street development going? Is the payment coupon book getting smaller?

dading dont delete me bro

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.

why is this extortion? something positive going on in ypsilanti and someone "knocks it"?!? it's a start. you have to start SOMEWHERE. the hours may not be ideal, but officer houk and ypd is being there (being visible). kudos to ypd, especially in times of cutbacks!

jinxplayer

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:14 a.m.

While Rasputin's comment sounds like a heated comment, I have lived in Ypsilanti for 8 years now, and if you dont agree that south of michigan ave, throughout the city is a higher crime area, then you dont know what you are talking about.

stevek

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 8:13 a.m.

@glimmertwin, I wouldn't call it extortion. According to your post, you are blaming the police. I think it just might be the loser criminals are to blame

AndyYpsilanti

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 7:45 a.m.

Maybe I just haven't been paying close enough attention, but 12 - 8 Monday - Friday doesn't strike me as a time frame when a lot of crime is happening, other than loitering at the bus stop. Don't get me wrong I'm glad to have the DDA sponsored beat cop (something I think a2 and other cities have had for a while) I just feel like it might make more sense to have him on around 4 - 12, Tuesday - Saturday. But I suppose half the battle is making sure lots of people see him and are aware that YPD is around...

jjc155

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 7:13 a.m.

@rasputin, just playing devils advocate here, but are you implying that south of Michigan ave is where the criminals are/should be??? this ought to be some good friday entertainment to close out the week.

glimmertwin

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.

While I'm glad this working out and everyone seems to be happy, I find it disturbing that these businesses need to be extorted for more money to get the services that everyone already pays for. Including these businesses. Pretty sad when you look at how much taxes are paid by individuals and businesses in these areas that municipalities cannot provide basic, fundamental needs such as quality police services.

Rasputin

Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 6:59 a.m.

Excellent! I hope the added Police presence makes criminals think twice about crossing Michigan avenue.