UK Cop visits Detroit

[Brian37]

Article about a UK cop that has been enthralled by the U.S. police and how different it is.  He chose recently to come to my native Detroit and live a day in the life of a Detroit Police Officer.  To say it was a culture shock is probably understating it.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/lo.../78913254/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVDDYQlmq0w

[abaris]

I think that it speaks volumes that the Packard plant being out of service since 1958 still rots away. Normally you would expect another investor to buy the land and set up their own business or to develop the spot to sell on. Obviously property value hasn't been high at any time for the last 60 years.

[Brian37]

Now my last post was a clip from a skit comedy movie made back in the 1970s. Sad that Detroit hasn't been really fixed to any degree. Anyone remember "Scary Movie".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38p2dORj9Ic

[Kingpin]

I think that it speaks volumes that the Packard plant being out of service since 1958 still rots away. Normally you would expect another investor to buy the land and set up their own business or to develop the spot to sell on. Obviously property value hasn't been high at any time for the last 60 years.

No in fact to try and lure investors they have auctions every year where you can literally buy homes for $1,000.

[The Grand Nudger]

It'd be a good time for "fairytale" redevelopment scenarios, like intensive urban ag centers.  

Not surprised the cop had the experience he did.  He chose to ride along with a detroit gang unit. I hope he wasn't expecting to help old ladies cross the street. I was under the impression that the UK had armed response units? Their everyday experience probably doesn't differ much from a US gang unit's experience.

[Minimalist]

He chose recently to come to my native Detroit

At least they didn't shoot him.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

I think that it speaks volumes that the Packard plant being out of service since 1958 still rots away. Normally you would expect another investor to buy the land and set up their own business or to develop the spot to sell on. Obviously property value hasn't been high at any time for the last 60 years.

The main problem was that Detroit was the most racist city in all of America.  Once black people started moving there in WWI the racists stopped investing in the city and let it decay.  Black people were much better off in the most racist Southern city than they were in Detroit.  It's been that way for over 100 years.

[Kingpin]

I think that it speaks volumes that the Packard plant being out of service since 1958 still rots away. Normally you would expect another investor to buy the land and set up their own business or to develop the spot to sell on. Obviously property value hasn't been high at any time for the last 60 years.

The main problem was that Detroit was the most racist city in all of America.  Once black people started moving there in WWI the racists stopped investing in the city and let it decay.  Black people were much better off in the most racist Southern city than they were in Detroit.  It's been that way for over 100 years.

There still is incredible racial tension. The amount of time I hear how rich white people are keeping the citizens down or vice versa the white businessmen complaining about lazy blacks who only want their welfare. It's disgraceful all around. Detroit has incredible potential and a rich history and it's incredibly sad to see what it has become. They are still trying to rejuvenate it with a lot of investment in downtown but without investing in the people I don't see a change happening.

[Mr Greene]

I was under the impression that the UK had armed response units?  Their everyday experience probably doesn't differ much from a US gang unit's experience.

Each police force does maintain an ARU, (At one point they were called Fire Arms Response Teams until someone shouted the acronym across the radio...)
These generally come down to a single car covering the entire forces area of operations. eg. for North Wales Police that's all the way from Chester to the Gower Peninsular.
City forces tend to have more units available for obvious reasons.
AFAIAK British police have never been routinely equipped with firearms since they were formed in the 19th century.

Everyday experience; I'd struggle to think of anywhere on mainland Britain where you'd get that sort of experience, parts of Glasgow at a push.
Northern Ireland of course is an entirely different kettle of fish.

[Ben Davis]

You know, I never got to the bottom of how the system of officers not carrying firearms came about in the UK. I ask that question for about a decade now and browsed the web intensively for some historic background, but I never found anything of value on the topic.

Do you know where it origins?

You've got it the wrong way round: UK officers have never had the need to carry firearms except in special circumstances. We don't need 'a system of not carrying'. The absolute opposite of what the US does