Chief Anthony Holt
Crime is one of those key issues in a city that helps determine the desirability of a neighborhood.
Dennis Archambault writes in Model D:
The Midtown district is one of the safest places in Detroit. According to Wayne State University, major crimes in Midtown have decreased by 52 percent since 2008, significantly outpacing the 18 percent decline citywide over the same period. According to BestColleges.com, Wayne State, one of Midtown's primary anchor institutions, is one of the 50 safest large university campuses in the U.S.
The Wayne State University Police Department, which enjoys a very good reputation, is often credited with keeping crime down in Midtown and responding quicker than Detroit Police.
Archambault writes that campus police Chief Anthony Holt realizes it's important to patrol not only the campus, but the surrounding area. In fact, he dedicates about 20 percent of his resources to the campus and 80 percent to the perimeter.
"You cannot learn, you cannot do anything -- whether it's an educational institution or a business institution -- unless you're safe," he tells Model D. "By policing the perimeter, you confront the bad guys before they come in."
Increased public safety is not solely the result of the university police force's efforts -- it's the convergence of multiple levels of law enforcement, including the Henry Ford Health System and Detroit Medical Center police, Detroit Police, the Wayne County Sheriff, the Michigan Corrections Department, and others. These agencies meet twice monthly in a "CompStat" session, where they compare statistical findings, identify "hot spot" areas, and strategize around data.
