A Disturbance on Detroit Rd. 11/29

[Phil Florian]

I was driving on Detroit up from Franklin by the Huntington Bank at about 7 PM tonight and while heading there was passed by two police cruisers with lights but no siren with my assumption is that they were heading to a crime in progress.

When I got up to Detroit from Franklin, I saw 2 more cars and 3 more police walking each corner looking for something. Turning towards Burger King, I saw a line up of cars...more than I have seen ever at any one point in Lakewood. Certainly something was going on.

I got my BK Veggie Burger (who knew they had veggie burgers) because time was a'wasting for my 7 PM appointment. I asked the lady at the drive thru and she said it was something about a bunch of high school kids being "kicked out" of the corner. As she said that, I saw two officers escorting a tall, white teen (roughly, too) up the alley behind Chipolte. This would bear out what the BK staff said but the amount of cars had me concerned. Unruly teens don't warrant 6 or 7 squad cars, do they?

Maybe they do. Maybe this is a new effort to really overwhelm a situation with numbers which I can get behind if it works. But I have to think there was more to it. Anyone get the info on this? I know there are some scanner-folk on here and I was curious.

This information coupled with stories of a fair amount of break-ins along Detroit and side-streets has me a bit concerned. Any info would be great.

Thanks!

Phil

[Jim O'Bryan]

Phil

Crimes are rated, and the amount of cars going is dependent on that, and if anything else is going on at that point in the city.

On a slow day, I could see a bunch of back ups arriving at a scene.



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[DougHuntingdon]

That BK parking lot and the front of the Marc's plaza are notorious for teenage punk riff raff skate-or-die types, although not all skate-or-die types are serious troublemakers. I am sure some of those teenagers patronize BK, but they also scare away customers. Sometimes when they have been acting up, I have avoided walking past them to go into BK. It is not worth the hassle if I have to defend myself just to get a chicken sandwich, then have the police arrest or investigate me for being the criminal.

Doug

[Shawn Juris]

Can't comment on that one in particular, but I love hearing the stories about Lakewood's Police response. Some may complain at times that they're overly vigilant or petty but when they're called they do come out quickly and in numbers. I've seen similar response a couple times on my street over the past year. As long as they're not being taken away from something else and reacting appropriately to the situation (leave the 50 bullets and beatings to LA and NYC) when they get there, I've got no problem with multiple cars responding to any call.

[Charyn Compeau]

..

[Shawn Juris]

Out of curiosity, how much of the behavior is worthy of police intervention. Solon's McDonalds and Lawson's had the same loitering so I don't think it's necessarily an Urban thing or a "skate or die" thing as much as a constant everywhere. And before we get ahead of ourselves, there doesn't need to be a fix or a center built. If it was a group of any other age group using Sinagra park then we would be pleased with it. I've often had to pause to avoid hitting a variety of pedestrians as I try to turn into the BK driveway whether it's a middle aged artsy individual who was having a coffee at Caribou, an old woman with a shopping cart she took from Marc's or a mother pushing a stroller.
I have tried to picture an old couple plopping down in the middle of everyone on one of the benches as kids skate around them. Who knows maybe we could have the oldest skating population in the country. Grandma and Grandpa could Gleam the Cube.

[David Scott]

I've often had to pause to avoid hitting a variety of pedestrians as I try to turn into the BK driveway

I might be jumping to conclusions - but if the pedestrian is on the sidewalk they have the right of way. Cars have started turning 10 yards before the entrance in an effort to beat traffic and those unsuspecting pedestrians - be they kids on skateboards or adults walking their dog - have to dodge the 4,000 lb car coming at them. This happens at intersections, driveways, businesses whatever. So maybe you have to wait a few seconds to order your whopper so the pedestrian is clear

[ryan costa]

It was three white teenagers with low riding pants and their caps on sideways.

They are immune to early 20th century civilian led throttling or admonishment. They know the F word, and they aren't afraid to use it.

I bet they were from Parma or Fairview Park.

[Shawn Juris]

I've often had to pause to avoid hitting a variety of pedestrians as I try to turn into the BK driveway

I might be jumping to conclusions -

Yeah, I understand that they have the right of way and don't mind waiting necessarily. The point was more that there are a wide range of people in that area that can make it more challenging to drive around that area. Regardless of right away or demographic, many have seemed unaware that a car is about to cross their path. Maybe we could do a study of the number of near incidents and accidents in that area

[Phil Florian]

As long as the elderly citizen with the shopping cart or the hipster with the coffee aren't cursing at me, then I am content to wait my turn to make my turn. I spoke to my wife about this in the morning and she had been in that spot about an hour earlier with our kids and had to put the windows up and give some scowls to the language these kids were yelling. Still, it was a pretty stong response for just language so I have to assume more was going on. Even if not, I guess it is sending a clear message. I hope.

[c. dawson]

I always love that the usual "disaffected youth" who hang out there or at the skatepark profess to be nonconformists and extreme individualists ... yet they all dress alike, get similar haircuts, and hang out as a big group.

Wouldn't that make them sort of conformists??

And sadly, at some point, many realize that their skateboarding skills don't necessarily translate to the job world, and that you can't wear ultra-low-riding jeans to a job interview. The problem is when there are still a few who grow up and DON'T realize that!!

[ryan costa]

skate boarding is sort of an athletic activity. regardless of its over reliance on fashion and sub-culture. Only about 30 people can be on a football team at a time.

Most of them are doing it on their own dime, warding off diabetes and obesity.

Roller skating could do the same thing. But roller skating around in circles is stupid. In fact, roller skating looks pretty stupid. Unless you are doing it on the show CHiPs. Roller Skaters are nerds.

[Charyn Compeau]

..

[ryan costa]

I'm surprised boating isn't more popular. If I were 12 again I would scrounge the money together for a row boat small enough to drag to lake erie. I could have spent my days far from shore, swilling night train and thunderbird and writing bad poetry.


Hey kids do you want to go far
you can do it like the other retards

write down some words that rhyme
and you will win every time

drink some wine. it will feel ok
put on a show. you will get laid.

[Esther Hazlett]

Roller Skaters are nerds.

Tell that to these ladies!!

http://www.burningriverrollergirls.com/