Town Hall Police Forum Addresses Recent Break-Ins

About 50 residents gathered Wednesday night at to learn more from Dearborn’s law enforcement brass about crime prevention activities in their neighborhood.

The town hall meeting, which was located in the heart of the “Beat 5” patrol district bounded by Ford Road, Michigan Avenue, Outer Drive and Telegraph, focused on how residents can avoid being victims of crime and what activities police have undertaken to curb unlawful or suspicious activities during tough economic times.

“The economy isn’t going to change [in the near term],” said Chief Ron Haddad. "We’re going to continue to be tough on [crime].”

From September, about , and though police are still investigating the matter, two individuals have been arrested. Haddad declined to name the individuals because they have not been formally charged in court.

The challenging economy in the area is mostly responsible for the increase in property crimes, and since that factor cannot be controlled by law enforcement, the police department has implemented patrol activities and technology to help thwart crime in the community, Haddad said.

Officials also said there are several things people can do to minimize their chances of becoming a victim of crime.

“It’s important to make sure that windows and doors are closed; I know it can be inconvenient, but if you are in the back of your house, you really don’t know what’s going on in the front of your house,” said Lt. David Robinson.

Haddad reminded those in attendance that at least five of the recent break-ins involved unsecured windows. He said that the break-ins also occurred after 3 p.m., or after school.

“Dollars to donuts, young people are doing this,” he said.

Other issues

During the forum, residents were able to ask questions on cards, which were then answered by the chief. Many of the questions focused on issues like traffic safety, local crime, social media resources and even the ethnic makeup of the police department.

Police also reminded residents that there are several new tools available to keep residents informed about crime, or to inform police about crime in their neighborhood, even anonymously.

Crime data for the city can be found online at crimemapping.com, a website designed to provide data immediately.

Additionally, the department has introduced Nixle, a program that allows people to receive updates and alerts about crime and other emergencies by text.

“We encourage everyone to sign up for this,” said Crime Prevention Cpl. Dan Bartok, who said that when a recent chlorine leak occurred at one of the schools, parents were easily notified to pick up their children.

Additionally, Bartok encouraged residents who are preparing to go on vacation to sign up for a vacation check. During a check, members of the city’s 35-person police auxiliary will monitor activity at your home to reduce the chance of criminal activity.

In the meantime, law enforcement is deploying all available resources to cope with crime, including encouraging higher bonds for habitual offenders, Haddad said.