A series of break-ins in a mostly-Arab American neighborhood in Southwest Detroit has citizens on edge, with residents claiming that local police aren’t doing enough to keep their families safe.

More than 12 burglaries have occurred in the past two weeks near the intersection of Lonyo and Dayton streets, which is close to the Dearborn border.

While residents of other backgrounds in the area have been hit, the majority of them have been Arab American, leading to speculation as to whether or not the community has been targeted. One resident of the area thinks that thieves are targeting Arabs and looking for jewelry, as most of them have turned over furniture and gone through belongings looking for specific items. One of the women who had her house robbed hid her jewelry in a tea box only to have it stolen along with her other pieces of jewelry.

The resident, who goes by the initials of T.M., did not want his name disclosed for fear of retribution, but he talked at length about the problems facing his neighborhood.

He said that many factors are working against the resolution of the situation in the neighborhood. A language barrier and residents’ fear of coming forward because of possible retribution by thieves are two reasons.

But after talking with many of his neighbors, he said that poor police response has been the biggest problem.

“They always say on the news (Detroit police) that they want the community to talk to the police,” said T.M., “but so far, not one detective has come back to investigate. Not one has come back to follow up.”

A signed petition from the neighborhood with almost 300 signatures was delivered to top area police commanders, but T.M. still doesn’t think that enough is being done to help in what has become a desperate situation.

Most of the break-ins he’s heard about have occurred in broad daylight as thieves have kicked in back doors and pushed in air conditioning units to gain entry to the house. One disturbing alleged incident involved a thief putting a gun in a two-year old child’s mouth in front of a mother before the thief robbed her and left. Two days later, the woman moved to California.

“Most of the people here are scared to go to sleep at night,” T.M. said. “They wait until morning to go to sleep. Most of them want to move out or they’re moving in with family members in other cities.”

Last week, members of the community along with representatives from ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) met with Detroit Deputy Police Chief Claudia Barden-Jackson.

ACCESS Director of Communications, Hannan Deep, said it was a productive meeting.

“From now on, the Detroit Police will be increasing patrolling in the neighborhood from what I’ve understood,” she said.

T.M. said he has seen a few more police cars in the area lately, but the number hasn’t been especially high. He fears that it won’t be enough.

“They’re not coming back to ask about descriptions or anything,” he said, noting that in one case it allegedly took cops three days to come out and investigate a claim.

“They give us a police report, told (us) to find a neighborhood watch. What are they asking us to do, martial law? We’re telling them almost 300 people signed a petition and you haven’t done anything.”

T.M. thinks that once police start showing up more often, they’ll be able to catch the thieves with ease.

“These are dumb thieves, I’m telling you. I’m surprised the police haven’t caught them yet.”

But for now, T.M. is scared for the safety of his wife and kids. He’s hammered his doors shut and is trying to get neighbors to sign a petition to have a nearby alleyway closed off. He urges everyone in Detroit and also nearby Dearborn to keep a watchful eye out for suspicious vehicles or people in the area.

“Most people here are working families. They just go to work, go home, and feed their kids. They’re just living American dream like everybody else. I think that’s one reason they are targeting them.”

Southwestern District Police Commander Todd Bettison commented on the situation.

“We met with various members from that community and we have increased our visibility over there,” he said.

Bettison said that an issue with the under-reporting of crimes in the area and a lack of communication were to blame for the insufficient police response.

“Since (the meetings), I myself personally have been over there patrolling in that area as well as my lieutenants.”

Bettison also responded to the allegations of delayed responses after calls to the police station for help.

“I am aware of it. We do have a priority system, if it’s a property crime and the threat is no longer there, that would determine when the unit is actually sent,” he said.  “It depends on what you tell the 911 operator. Sometimes people use words like burglary interchangeably with robbery (when it’s really just a property crime).”

“I think we need to do a better job of educating the community, and I also want to let them know, you know, that we’re not slighting anybody.”