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James Jackson shares the frustration and fight-back attitude many Detroiters feel as crime invades their neighborhoods.
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"We basically live in a war zone now," said Jackson, a former Detroit cop and president of the Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association. "We are fighting drug dealers and B&E men. People are up against their wits' end."
Jackson's comments Wednesday came as another east-sider, Tigh Croff, 31, was arraigned in court on a second-degree murder charge.
Croff, a licensed gun owner, is accused of chasing Herbert Silas and fatally shooting him after finding Silas in his backyard. Croff reportedly told police that his home had been broken into three times before the shooting early Monday.
Matthew Wylie, who lives next door to Croff in the 9800 block of Manistique, remembers when his neighborhood was family oriented. These days, he said, "it's like an every-man-for-himself kind of thing."
Wylie, 38, said his family has watched desperately as their neighborhood transformed from good to bad and became more crime-ridden in the 28 years they've lived there.
"It's a neighborhood that's on the decline. The economy isn't helping any," he said.
Vacant homes. Houses that can't be sold. More renters and squatters in his east-side neighborhood, where he lives on Manistique.
Crime appears to be up, he said, especially residential break-ins and car thefts.
Longtime residents on nearby Philip agreed, saying their once quiet neighborhood has turned into a haven for fighting, shooting and drugs.
"When I moved in, it looked like the Grosse Pointes almost, trees on the street. Everybody was nice," said a 35-year resident who was afraid to give her name.
While neat houses still dot part of the neighborhood, half-way down the 9800 block of Philip stand at least a half-dozen boarded-up houses for rent or for sale. It's the same neighborhood where early Monday, police said, Croff shot and killed Herbert Silas. Croff, who lives on Manistique, reportedly chased Silas when he discovered Silas and another man in his backyard.
Croff told police that his home had been broken into three times recently. Police said Wednesday that Croff filed a break-in report on Dec. 19. No one was at Croff's home Wednesday. A sign on the front door instructed people to use a side door to "Tight Cuts Barber Shop & Salon."
Within a half-mile radius of his home, there have been 35 crimes reported from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, according to a police online mapping tool. Ten of the crimes, including one on Manistique, were burglaries.
Police said Silas, who was unarmed, stopped running in the 9800 block of Philip as Croff chased him. Silas turned around, put his hands up and, according to a police source, told Croff: "What are you going to do? Shoot me?"
"Absolutely," Croff told investigators he responded. Silas was hit once in the chest.
Wylie said he was shocked to learn of the shooting involving Croff, a neighbor he described as a "really good guy" who got "caught in a bad situation." He said Croff, 31, a security guard and father of twin boys, helped his neighbors, was a DJ at clubs and attended a nearby church.
Wylie said he's not "honoring what happened," but "there's only so much you can take, especially when you catch the people."
Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee acknowledged that residents are frustrated, but cautioned about taking matters into their own hands.
"We have to all take a step back and look at property versus life and how we value it," he said. "That's not giving criminals a free rein to take our stuff, but we have to look at taking a life versus property when there is no imminent danger to your own life."
James Jackson, president of the Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association, lives about 3 miles away from the site of the shooting. A former Detroit cop, Jackson said residents are fed up with drug dealers and break-ins and are starting to snap.
He said residents on Chalmers, south of Jefferson, have begun buying closed-circuit camera systems and mounting them on their houses.
"He may not have been justified if he chased someone," he said of Croff. "But what he did was probably out of frustration. The police don't come out. I know the chief is trying to help, but the police aren't coming most of the time."
Robert Homant, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Detroit Mercy, said he did not know Croff's motive but to understand, it would be good to know Croff's training and duties as a security guard.
Homant said that he suspects Croff felt "humiliated, belittled, powerless or insignificant from the previous crimes and all things considered unconsciously, if not consciously, was looking for an opportunity to take charge of things."
Intruder shooting area called a 'war zone' | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
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"We basically live in a war zone now," said Jackson, a former Detroit cop and president of the Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association. "We are fighting drug dealers and B&E men. People are up against their wits' end."
Jackson's comments Wednesday came as another east-sider, Tigh Croff, 31, was arraigned in court on a second-degree murder charge.
Croff, a licensed gun owner, is accused of chasing Herbert Silas and fatally shooting him after finding Silas in his backyard. Croff reportedly told police that his home had been broken into three times before the shooting early Monday.
Matthew Wylie, who lives next door to Croff in the 9800 block of Manistique, remembers when his neighborhood was family oriented. These days, he said, "it's like an every-man-for-himself kind of thing."
Wylie, 38, said his family has watched desperately as their neighborhood transformed from good to bad and became more crime-ridden in the 28 years they've lived there.
"It's a neighborhood that's on the decline. The economy isn't helping any," he said.
Vacant homes. Houses that can't be sold. More renters and squatters in his east-side neighborhood, where he lives on Manistique.
Crime appears to be up, he said, especially residential break-ins and car thefts.
Longtime residents on nearby Philip agreed, saying their once quiet neighborhood has turned into a haven for fighting, shooting and drugs.
"When I moved in, it looked like the Grosse Pointes almost, trees on the street. Everybody was nice," said a 35-year resident who was afraid to give her name.
While neat houses still dot part of the neighborhood, half-way down the 9800 block of Philip stand at least a half-dozen boarded-up houses for rent or for sale. It's the same neighborhood where early Monday, police said, Croff shot and killed Herbert Silas. Croff, who lives on Manistique, reportedly chased Silas when he discovered Silas and another man in his backyard.
Croff told police that his home had been broken into three times recently. Police said Wednesday that Croff filed a break-in report on Dec. 19. No one was at Croff's home Wednesday. A sign on the front door instructed people to use a side door to "Tight Cuts Barber Shop & Salon."
Within a half-mile radius of his home, there have been 35 crimes reported from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, according to a police online mapping tool. Ten of the crimes, including one on Manistique, were burglaries.
Police said Silas, who was unarmed, stopped running in the 9800 block of Philip as Croff chased him. Silas turned around, put his hands up and, according to a police source, told Croff: "What are you going to do? Shoot me?"
"Absolutely," Croff told investigators he responded. Silas was hit once in the chest.
Wylie said he was shocked to learn of the shooting involving Croff, a neighbor he described as a "really good guy" who got "caught in a bad situation." He said Croff, 31, a security guard and father of twin boys, helped his neighbors, was a DJ at clubs and attended a nearby church.
Wylie said he's not "honoring what happened," but "there's only so much you can take, especially when you catch the people."
Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee acknowledged that residents are frustrated, but cautioned about taking matters into their own hands.
"We have to all take a step back and look at property versus life and how we value it," he said. "That's not giving criminals a free rein to take our stuff, but we have to look at taking a life versus property when there is no imminent danger to your own life."
James Jackson, president of the Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association, lives about 3 miles away from the site of the shooting. A former Detroit cop, Jackson said residents are fed up with drug dealers and break-ins and are starting to snap.
He said residents on Chalmers, south of Jefferson, have begun buying closed-circuit camera systems and mounting them on their houses.
"He may not have been justified if he chased someone," he said of Croff. "But what he did was probably out of frustration. The police don't come out. I know the chief is trying to help, but the police aren't coming most of the time."
Robert Homant, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Detroit Mercy, said he did not know Croff's motive but to understand, it would be good to know Croff's training and duties as a security guard.
Homant said that he suspects Croff felt "humiliated, belittled, powerless or insignificant from the previous crimes and all things considered unconsciously, if not consciously, was looking for an opportunity to take charge of things."
Intruder shooting area called a 'war zone' | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
