SubscribeI honestly didn't think I'd say this, but Detroit's newest police chief Ralph Godbee isn't the empty suit/place holder I thought he would be. In fact, from my brief experience with him at a town hall style meeting, he's quite the opposite.
At a downtown business community event Thursday evening put on by the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Godbee showed genuine concern. The event was a meet and greet with the chief of police held in response to a growing concern among business owners and residents operating and living on Broadway Street in Downtown Detroit.
The key concerns among loft residents and business owners in the Broadway Business District were break ins and gunshots fired after clubs let out at 2:00 am. Business owners and new residents coming to the city have been discouraged by late night gunfire and robberies.
"The good news is the economy in downtown Detroit is growing. The bad news is the economy in downtown Detroit is growing," Godbee told business owners and residents at the meeting, held in an industrial themed loft on Broadway owned by developer Mike Mercier.
Godbee was realistic, yet hopeful. "There are not enough police officers to make the city of Detroit safe," he said. "The real goal is to look at systemic issues. We're very good at what we do, but we don't know it all."
He suggested piloting a new crime-stopping technology starting downtown that can triagulate a gunshot's location in ten seconds within two square miles of an incident.
While Godbee was reluctant to say that downtown communities received more police attention than the often more violent neighborhoods, he was frank about downtown's importance to the economic health of Detroit. "You gotta be careful how you say this. We could have five shootings on the east side ... but one (shooting) downtown and it would wipe us off the map." He added, "the downtown area is the safest place in the city."
In a mixed crowd of white and black business owners, the issue of race and culture was a tense undercurrent. Clubs letting out proceeded by gunfire is happening primarily at clubs where the clientele is predominantly young black people and the few who bring a gun ruin it for the rest.
The chief of police was instated to the post last summer after a controversial firing of former police chief Warren Evans.
In person, Godbee seemed relatable, making a special effort to stay true to himself while retaining professional composure.
"I like Lil' Wayne. I do. I like Weezy. I just don't like the decibels my daughter plays him at," he said with a smile, also noting that the key to solving this problem is to be proactive, not reactionary. "We can't wait 'til the next WJLB Wax Tax n' Dre party to figure this out."
Among attendees was nightclub owner and former Detroit city council candidate Jai-Lee Dearing whose clientele briefly became a hot point in the conversation on late night gunplay. Godbee held played it cool, staying neutral and welcomed more community meetings on the topic.
"This is the first of many," he said.
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