LeDuff: How's that scaled back Detroit police force working? - Fox 2 News Headlines

So how's that scaled back and whittled down to the bone Detroit police force working?  Well, some people on a nice block on the east side called us to tell us about it.

"My mom's house got broken into like three times this year," said Lawrence.

"Breaking into the home.  They get in there.  They set up shop," said Shelly.  "We tried calling the police several times just the other night, about six or seven times.  Nothing."

Does she have a gun?

"Definitely."

Guess who else lives on this block?  Ralph Godbee, the chief of Detroit Police himself.

"You almost have to call and say you're getting murdered or something in order for them to come.  I don't know what the trick is yet, but they still don't show up," said Sammy Tocco, a realtor in Godbee's neighborhood.

That calling up and saying I murdered somebody bit doesn't work either because this past weekend on the west side a guy got into a beef with four men.  He shot them, killing two.  Seeing as the police precincts were closed, the self confessed murderer came to Engine 40 to turn himself in.  He begged them to call police, which they did.

"He shot four people and killed two," said a Detroit firefighter.  "No cop ever came here, and this is supposed to be a priority call when you call Central and say, okay, we need a scout car at the fire station."

After three or four hours, firefighters say they put him in a cab where he went to a police precinct and turned himself in.

Then we received this off the police wires.  The authorities are seeking a rape suspect from back in May, so chances are he's not wearing black pants and a black shirt anymore, but if you have any idea call Crime Stoppers.

"No priorities at all.  I mean get off your hands and do something, and that's going to Mr. Mayor," said Tony Brown, one of Godbee's neighbors.

The mayor, as is customary, had nothing to say, which is too bad because I would like to ask him what the people asked me to ask him -- Sir, how many have to die before we get a plan?