Does a municipal bankruptcy make things better or worse? Here in Detroit, we're finding out firsthand that things are actually getting better in some aspects.
Whenever I post something to Jalopnik Detroit, no matter if it's good or bad, I always get the ol' "well they should just shut down Detroit and move everyone out because it's all over for them, a hurr-durr-durr!" and I'm just like, fuck off, it could happen to your city too. And as newly minted Fox News national reporter Charlie LeDuff — and not just him, but all sorts of urban planners and financial advisors — points out, there are larger cities walking the same path, notably Los Angeles and Chicago.
I've dropped in anecdotal evidence in a post here and there that I've seen more police on the streets and that crime is going down, but LeDuff takes us front and center with a ridealong with Detroit Police.
"Less money being paid to the creditors means more money invested in the police. And because the city is now run by a state-appointed emergency manager, the police department has been ripped from the bozo politicians upstairs. And predictably, crime is going down."
With the blessing of new police chief James Craig, LeDuff and a cameraman went with police to the 48205 ZIP Code, which has been described as America's deadliest. (I personally feel that Craig is walking a dangerous line by constantly putting himself in the spotlight — hello, Warren Evans — but again, I'll let it slide this time.) There, they bust drug dealers and confiscate guns but, oddly, complain that it's too quiet on this particular night.
"It's quiet in the '205. What's going on tonight? Where can I find some crime?" one officer asks.
Not all is well just yet; officers are still dealing with pay cuts enforced in years past and despite a new fleet of police cars, some older cars are still out on the streets. Still, as I've said before, life is going on in Detroit and we're hanging in there.
That said, I'm still prepared for all you financial experts to leave comments below to tell me exactly what will happen next in Detroit and what the city should do. I'm all ears!