{"id":62909,"date":"2025-06-18T11:14:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T15:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/uncategorized\/detroit-police-dont-prioritize-auto-thefts-some-victims-are-taking-matters-their-own\/"},"modified":"2025-07-25T19:13:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T23:13:42","slug":"detroit-police-dont-prioritize-auto-thefts-some-victims-are-taking-matters-their-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/urban-affairs\/detroit-police-dont-prioritize-auto-thefts-some-victims-are-taking-matters-their-own\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit police don\u2019t prioritize auto thefts. Some victims are taking matters into their own hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This story was published as part of Next City\u2019s<\/a> Detroit News Hub, a reporting project funded by the Kresge Foundation. The hub includes BridgeDetroit<\/a>, Planet Detroit<\/a> and Chalkbeat Detroit.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With little urgency from police after her car was stolen from outside her sister\u2019s New Center apartment complex, Carolyn Brown decided to take matters into her own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clarkston resident said she reported the Jan. 24 theft, filed a report at the Detroit Police Department\u2019s 3rd Precinct, and was told to expect a call within a week. But, as she left the station, the navigation system in her 2020 Ford Fusion alerted that her car was moving in the Russell Woods neighborhood near the Highland Park border. Brown tracked down the car \u2013 with two busted out driver\u2019s side windows and three men going in and out of it \u2013 near Belmont and Oakland Avenue. The discovery, she said, sparked more urgency from police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until we went after it ourselves and started calling 911 that they were like, \u2018OK stay where you are, we\u2019re gonna come check it out,\u2019\u201d Brown said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 30 minutes and no support from law enforcement, she left. Brown said she didn\u2019t necessarily expect an arrest would be made, but was hoping for a police presence to assess and drive away with her car safely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was frustrating that they told us they were gonna come and then didn\u2019t,\u201d she said. \u201cSo we kind of just watched the thieves pull away with my car.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Carolyn Brown photographed near Linwood and Oakman Blvd. on May 19, 2025. Brown is among the auto theft victims who have expressed concerns about the police department\u2019s handling of stolen vehicles in a local Facebook group. The group, which has over 50,000 members, is a daily resource for victims who post photographs and information in an attempt to locate stolen vehicles. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Detroit has celebrated a decline in violent and property crimes in recent years; however, auto thefts remain above pre-pandemic levels and continue to threaten the quality of life for residents and visitors. As frustrations grow, theft victims like Brown are taking action on their own via GPS technology, such as OnStar, or hiding AirTags in their vehicles as precautionary tools to help track down their vehicles in the event of a theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detroit police told BridgeDetroit that stolen vehicle recoveries are typically \u201clow priority\u201d for the department. Most urgent calls for service are tied to the severity of a crime, whether it\u2019s in progress, if there are injuries and other factors, the department said in an emailed statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n