hotfudgedetroit.com

Andy wrote:

Police have apprehended a not-so-light-fingered thief for stealing a light pole in Detroit.

According to WDIV-TV (Channel 4), the 58-year-old man was nabbed by police after the pole was spotted partially covered with a tarp in the back of the man's pickup truck.

Light poles for vehicular traffic can be up to 20 feet long.

The man -- who had a suspended driver's license -- was pulled over near Oakland and Ferris streets on Sunday. Police believe the man was planning on selling the pole for scrap metal. At this point, it's unknown where the pole was stolen from.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100907 ... z0yvq7qKop

Willie Fields of Detroit looks for scrap on an abandoned home on Murray after last night's fire in Detroit on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)

Exciteable wrote:

Willie Fields of Detroit looks for scrap on an abandoned home on Murray after last night's fire in Detroit on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)

DETROIT - Detroit Fire Station No. 16 on the city’s east side has become a target for crooks now that it’s been abandoned for months.

The windows and doors of the old station at Helen and Miller streets are wide open. Water is also running in the building.

Karroll Gary lives near the old firehouse and says little has been done to secure the building since the last fire truck left a couple of months ago.

“The building is abandoned and people are breaking in and stealing the toilets, sinks, pipes, everything,” she said. “The next thing is going to be the windows.”

Gary said it breaks her heart to see people destroying the building.

“No one’s boarded it up, no one has done anything,” she said. “They keep running in and out and it’s going to be burned up after a while.”

Gary said if the city doesn't do anything, she and her neighbors will have to take action to secure the building.

Local 4 called the Detroit Fire Commissioner’s office and was told to reach out to the city.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Thie ... index.html

Workers were called in Friday morning at the request of Steward's sister, family spokeswoman Diane Steward-Jones, to take down the red and gold Kronk Gym sign hanging outside the building at 19239 W. Warren in Detroit, a few blocks from Southfield Road.

Steward-Jones said she was dismantling the contents of the gym, including the boxing ring and historic fight photos and posters hanging on the walls, "to safeguard the legacy" of her brother, who died in a Chicago-area hospital Thursday after battling illness the past several months.

"There are people in the gym -- scavengers -- who would try and take everything out of my brother's gym," said Steward-Jones, who returned earlier Friday from Chicago and oversaw part of the removal. "I've alerted the police. People are not going to rape and ravage that place. There will be nothing left. The ring is even being removed."

Steward-Jones said she recalled Steward's restaurant downtown being broken into after closing years ago.

"They broke in and took out sides of beef, vegetables and fruit," she said. "That's not going to happen here."

David Hall wrote:8 school buses stolen, shredded into 'big pile of scrap'
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 0694.story

Expect this to catch on in Detroit soon

Author: Hank Winchester, Local 4 Reporter

It didn't have to happen. It could have been saved. It should be protected.

Those are some of the thoughts from proud Detroiters who live near what was most recently the temporary Finney High School on Detroit's east side.

The building was built in 1928 and was at one time breathtaking. A real gem. It's been empty for less than a year and scrappers have destroyed it.

They have ripped this building to pieces all to make some quick cash. The scrappers are the bad guys but they are not the only ones to blame.

Why didn't DPS do something? Secure this building? All they did was slap a for sale sign outside. Who would buy this dump now? It's now a tear down at best.

I couldn't believe how bold and brazen these guys were as they tore the building up. They were out there in the middle of the day attacking the building like their life depended on it. Yes, I know they get cash for the parts, which is why the scrap yards also need to be held responsible.

DPD responded quickly that day, but DPS has done nothing to help resolve this problem. If you think action needs to be taken call DPS let them know what you think of this story. And, if you spot scrappers do your part to bust them. Call police and if you can write down any description. This won't solve all the problems with abandon buildings in Detroit but hopefully it will help bust some of the guys cashing in on Detroit's decline.

DPS issued a statement saying:

"Detroit Public Schools Police have responded on 30 occasions to calls regarding illegal activity at this location. Fourteen arrests have been made at this property since October 2012.

DPS has a responsibility to be good stewards within the community. This is not characteristic of the manner in which DPS has maintained its recently closed properties, and we too are concerned about what thieves have done to destroy the value of this building and add blight to the community. It will also be reviewed what additional measures can be taken to ensure that this is not repeated elsewhere across the city."

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/inve ... index.html

The Beav wrote:Cross to late to the party.

This place was shuttered about 2 weeks before the vultures came. It was one of my favorite buildings on the east side. Pretty much a dump, now.

The "it happens everywhere" crowd can fuck off. The scale of this type of shit is astronomical here compared to other cities just because we have triple the abandoned buildings.

Andy wrote:The indignation of the writer is adorable. I remember when I used to get outraged over this when the Brewster Projects were stripped in broad daylight.

Author: Hank Winchester, Local 4 Reporter

It didn't have to happen. It could have been saved. It should be protected.

Those are some of the thoughts from proud Detroiters who live near what was most recently the temporary Finney High School on Detroit's east side.

The building was built in 1928 and was at one time breathtaking. A real gem. It's been empty for less than a year and scrappers have destroyed it.

They have ripped this building to pieces all to make some quick cash. The scrappers are the bad guys but they are not the only ones to blame.

Why didn't DPS do something? Secure this building? All they did was slap a for sale sign outside. Who would buy this dump now? It's now a tear down at best.

I couldn't believe how bold and brazen these guys were as they tore the building up. They were out there in the middle of the day attacking the building like their life depended on it. Yes, I know they get cash for the parts, which is why the scrap yards also need to be held responsible.

DPD responded quickly that day, but DPS has done nothing to help resolve this problem. If you think action needs to be taken call DPS let them know what you think of this story. And, if you spot scrappers do your part to bust them. Call police and if you can write down any description. This won't solve all the problems with abandon buildings in Detroit but hopefully it will help bust some of the guys cashing in on Detroit's decline.

Dude. Have you tried to call the cops about something like this? They. Don't. Care.

DPS issued a statement saying:

"Detroit Public Schools Police have responded on 30 occasions to calls regarding illegal activity at this location. Fourteen arrests have been made at this property since October 2012.

DPS has a responsibility to be good stewards within the community. This is not characteristic of the manner in which DPS has maintained its recently closed properties, and we too are concerned about what thieves have done to destroy the value of this building and add blight to the community. It will also be reviewed what additional measures can be taken to ensure that this is not repeated elsewhere across the city."

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/inve ... index.html

ldodger wrote:

Andy wrote:The indignation of the writer is adorable. I remember when I used to get outraged over this when the Brewster Projects were stripped in broad daylight.

Author: Hank Winchester, Local 4 Reporter

It didn't have to happen. It could have been saved. It should be protected.

Those are some of the thoughts from proud Detroiters who live near what was most recently the temporary Finney High School on Detroit's east side.

The building was built in 1928 and was at one time breathtaking. A real gem. It's been empty for less than a year and scrappers have destroyed it.

They have ripped this building to pieces all to make some quick cash. The scrappers are the bad guys but they are not the only ones to blame.

Why didn't DPS do something? Secure this building? All they did was slap a for sale sign outside. Who would buy this dump now? It's now a tear down at best.

I couldn't believe how bold and brazen these guys were as they tore the building up. They were out there in the middle of the day attacking the building like their life depended on it. Yes, I know they get cash for the parts, which is why the scrap yards also need to be held responsible.

DPD responded quickly that day, but DPS has done nothing to help resolve this problem. If you think action needs to be taken call DPS let them know what you think of this story. And, if you spot scrappers do your part to bust them. Call police and if you can write down any description. This won't solve all the problems with abandon buildings in Detroit but hopefully it will help bust some of the guys cashing in on Detroit's decline.

Dude. Have you tried to call the cops about something like this? They. Don't. Care.

DPS issued a statement saying:

"Detroit Public Schools Police have responded on 30 occasions to calls regarding illegal activity at this location. Fourteen arrests have been made at this property since October 2012.

DPS has a responsibility to be good stewards within the community. This is not characteristic of the manner in which DPS has maintained its recently closed properties, and we too are concerned about what thieves have done to destroy the value of this building and add blight to the community. It will also be reviewed what additional measures can be taken to ensure that this is not repeated elsewhere across the city."

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/inve ... index.html

We were doing tour research one afternoon and stopped in front of the Brewster Projects to look at our notes. The scrappers came outside and began to threaten us.