Flint Photos: Corner of Pengelly Road and Browning Avenue in 1975

Thanks to Flint attorney Benjamin Allyn, in the middle carrying a big stick, for the photo.

The Policing Power of the Federal Reserve

Flint's struggles with crime are well documented. In fact, according to F.B.I. statistics, it's the most dangerous city in America. Despite the dire statistics, Flint's police force continues to shrink as the city attempts to erase a budget deficit in an era of declining tax revenues and economic stagnation. Police headquarters isn't even open to the public on weekends.

If only Flint could borrow some protection from the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Each one is a private corporation owned by commercial banks in its region. And yet, in 2001, the USA Patriot Act granted the private banks domestic policing powers.

Pam Martens of AlterNet reports: 

Section 364 of the Act, “Uniform Protection Authority for Federal Reserve,” reads: “Law enforcement officers designated or authorized by the Board or a reserve bank under paragraph (1) or (2) are authorized while on duty to carry firearms and make arrests without warrants for any offense against the United States committed in their presence…Such officers shall have access to law enforcement information that may be necessary for the protection of the property or personnel of the Board or a reserve bank.” 

The police officers are technically known as FRLEO, short for Federal Reserve Law Enforcement Officer. The system has its own police academies for training, their own patch and badges, uniforms, pistols, rifles, police cars and the power to arrest coast to coast without a warrant. They have ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and a recruitment ad campaign with the slogan: “It’s about respect and recognition from your peers. It’s you.”

Flint Postcards: Flint from the Air

An aerial shot of Flint before I.M.A. disappeared and the bland brick buildings of UM-Flint arrived. It's tough to see, but note the photo credit on the postcard: Flint Police Dept.

Murdertown, USA...with Video

Charlie LeDuff's ride along with Flint Police finds space in The New York Times Magazine and on the local TV news in Detroit.

And Flint Mayor Dayne Walling comes out swinging in an email to his supporters:

Recently, the City Of Flint has been the subject of some very negative press. A freelance reporter from Detroit, with the help of a few opportunistic police officers joined forces to paint a very unfair picture of Flint’s public safety challenges. My administration was given no opportunity to participate or answer questions, and I am deeply disturbed by yet another cheap shot at the City of Flint.

Let me set the record straight. My administration has dedicated a greater percentage of available resources to public safety than ever before. More than 70% of the city’s general fund is dedicated to public safety. We are partnering with Federal, State, and County law enforcement officials and implementing innovative approaches to address the long standing public safety challenges of violent crime, gangs, drugs, and quality of life issues.

On May 3^rd voters in Flint will have an opportunity for the first time ever to approve a jail millage that will provide dedicated funding to keep our city jail open. This is an identified problem and I proud that City Council members and community leaders have come together to support fixing this long-standing stumbling block. We must send a strong message to those who are breaking the laws in our community that there are consequences and repercussions for those acts of lawlessness.

Our highly skilled public safety force of more than 120 men and women remains strong, and fully prepared to keep the citizens and visitors of this community safe. Residents can be assured that there is more than handful of officers patrolling the streets of Flint. We have a force of more than 20 officers on duty prepared to answer calls in every section of this city on every shift. On each shift, officers are assigned to general and directed patrols, community policing, special operations, traffic calls and youth cases. Many individual officers do not know the full strength and power of the department. The notion that 6 officers are on duty in the City of Flint on any given shift is absurd and, quite frankly, wrong and misleading.

We also continue to work proactively through our Ceasefire and Blue Badge programs to prevent crime. We have opened a police mini-station in every ward of the city. We are now exploring opportunities and partnerships to open more mini-stations.

We continue to seek out positive opportunities for our youth in this community. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint has established a second location in our newly renovated Haskell Community Center with the partnership of PAL, the Police Activities League. The center is providing mentoring and positive intervention in the lives of young people.

With all of this hard work underway, I take offense at this irresponsible media who come into our city to use our public safety challenges to advance their own sensational, fear mongering agenda. I am even more offended by the audacity of those few police officers who provided dishonest and incomplete information. The officers’ actions are disrespectful and harmful to the tax paying citizens of this community who expect their officers to have honor and to uphold their oath to protect and serve at all times. Without question, these officers are entitled to voice their own opinions. And if they no longer desire to honorably and faithfully serve this community, there is nothing compelling them to remain with us here. There are many who would love the opportunity to serve this community.

Flint has had difficult challenges with crime for over forty years, and our murder rate has been and continues to be totally unacceptable. This was no secret to these officers when they asked to be hired by our department, and certainly not news for the media.

Yes we have our challenges, like many other communities, but working together with the resources available, we are putting in place solutions. It will take a sustained effort for our community to have safer streets, new jobs, strong neighborhoods, and opportunity for all. Signs of our positive transformation are coming up. Just this week Kiplinger’s Report named Flint, Michigan one of eleven comeback cities in the USA based on the job creation forecast from Moody’s.

At this important time, we will not let a misguided few distract us from the important work that we must continue to do to create a better Flint for all of us and generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support.

Flint Photos: Police Headquarters in the 1950s

(Please excuse the photographer's cropping marks.)

A Scanner Darkly

Yes, you can actually listen to the City of Flint police and fire department scanners online. Go here. Even though the fire department responded to seven calls last night, it's not exactly riviting. But I could only listen for about 30 seconds because it made me feel like I was in a Richard Linklater movie.

Haskell Lives Again

The Haskell Community Center, second home to many Civic Park kids over the years, has been revived yet again.

Laura Angus of The Flint Journal reports:

The Haskell Community Center, located at 2201 Forest Hill Avenue, is now home to a police mini-station serving the city’s 2nd Ward.

Mayor Dayne Walling announced the mini-station’s opening on Wednesday. The center has also been the Police Activities League’s headquarters since July.

Walling said the station is a “no-cost solution to fight crime.” It allows officers to file police reports without driving downtown, and serve as a hub for neighborhood volunteers. “This is what community policing is all about, and it starts with having a place, a center, and anchor in every ward,” said Walling.

Thanks to Randy Gearhart for passing this along.

Summer of Love...Flint Style

jbing50 remembers an encounter with Flint's finest...

I lived in an apartment which at one time was the servant's quarters above the garage of the ivy covered brick house on the corner of Detroit and Stockdale. This was fall 1969 when I was a student at Flint Jr. College (now Mott).

One of my most vivid recollections of this time is having two cops pull their guns on me at this corner. This was, to say the least, a frightening experience, intensified by the general feeling amongst my contemporaries that the police were somewhat "on edge" at the time. If anyone remembers, they sported riot helmets as part of their standard uniform of the day.

As my roommate turned off of Detroit onto Stockdale, the cops flashed their lights to pull us over. Since we were right at our usual parking spot, we pulled up to the curb and both got out of the car. This turned out to be one of the dumbest moves of the century. FREEZE!!! We suddenly look and both cops are tucked behind open doors with guns drawn and aimed at us just like on TV. My roommate dropped the bag of groceries he was holding as his hands went up and he yelled "don't shoot".

The cops ended up being somewhat apologetic about the whole thing and strongly cautioned us to never hop out of a car like that when pulled over. They interpreted this as aggressive behavior, even from a couple of long-haired youngsters holding grocery bags.

Policing Public Meetings

When I was just starting out as a reporter in Springfield, Illinois I got to cover city council meetings. They were always pretty dull affairs. That doesn't seem to be the case at Flint City Council meetings, where the police sometimes get involved.

Tyrone C. Robertson, R.I.P.

Dana DeFever of The Flint Journal reports:

"A 23-year-old man is dead after he was shot about 9 a.m. Saturday.

"Police were called to East Jamieson Street near North Saginaw Street for a shooting and found Tyrone C. Robertson, who was transported to Hurley Medical Center and pronounced dead.

"No information is available about the suspect or suspects."

For a map of Flint homicides, go to the Flint Murder Map.

Pain in the ass

If you're a baggy pants aficionado, Flint's new law banning the fashion statement may seem harsh, but just be thankful you don't live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Scott Butler of The Florida Times-Union reports:

A Jacksonville man is accused of shooting an 18-year-old after telling him to pull his jeans up.

Constantin

It happened about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Cross Creek Apartments on Manotak Avenue. Police arrived to find the 54-year-old suspect standing next to the victim. The suspect had a gun in his waistband but kept his hands up for police.

Several witnesses told police the man followed David A. Mitchell into the courtyard from the pool telling him to pull his pants up. The two began to argue, and the younger man pushed the suspect before being shot in the stomach, according to the arrest report.

Mitchell, who was released from the hospital the same day, told the Times-Union Monday that the bullet is still in his side but the doctors say he’ll be fine. He said he had never seen the man and knew his shorts were sagging. He said he pulled them up, but the man said it wasn’t enough and just kept coming. So he pushed him off and tried to walk away.

John C. Constantin , who lives at the Westside apartments, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. According to the arrest report, he told police it was self-defense after he was assaulted for telling Mitchell to pull his pants up.

Family reached at his home Monday offered their apologies and said Constantin was remorseful for what happened. He remains in jail on $100,000 bail.

Baggy Pants Guidelines

Flint's crackdown on baggy pants has caused some confusion. Just how do you differentiate between the "immoral self expression" that interim Police Chief David Dicks wants to stop and people who just like comfortable, loose-fitting trousers? Luckily, the Flint police have issued these handy guidelines.