‘It’s like a shopping spree’ – Detroit’s Grandmont residents feel targeted by wave of crime

DETROIT (FOX 2) – A thief in the night caught on camera.  A neighbor says his security camera shows a suspected thief searching the trucks in his driveway.

Another video shows — who neighbors say — is a burglar, nonchalantly strolling down a street in Grandmont with someone’s lawn equipment.

Homeowners in the Grandmont neighborhood say thieves are stealing their belongings – and their sense of security.

“It’s every night these guys are coming, and there’s got to be three or four groups of dudes,” said resident Dave Regan. “The whole neighborhood is just in a panic.

“People can’t even walk down the street because neighbors are like, ‘Is this someone casing out the neighborhood?’ We’re all super-paranoid.”

Regan says the uptick in neighborhood thefts started in August.  He’s been targeted more than once, and so have his neighbors who joined FOX 2 for this interview.

“These guys are coming over and over,” he said. “It’s almost like a shopping spree. There’s no repercussions.”

One neighbor put up a whole row of spikes on their fence to keep anyone from hopping into his backyard.

“We’ve sat on a porch at 2 o’clock in the morning, rolled around in cars, walked the neighborhoods,” said April Robertson. “The house on the corner — she was hit three times.”

Robertson is a homeowner, mother, and crime victim, too. She said one of her neighbors chased a thief down the street.

Despite the trouble – it’s brought the block together.  They just want more help from Detroit police.

“We have a nice neighborhood,” Robertson said. “I enjoy living here. I love it here, but I don’t need anyone coming into our neighborhood and taking our things that we work hard for.”

“It’s supposed to be a police officer driving the area, and I think we’ve only seen one so far.”

Detroit police told FOX 2 that they have a person of interest and they have placed the neighborhood under special attention.