Devolution

Detroiter Claims 911 Call Of Stolen Van With Gun Was Ignored

DETROIT (WWJ) - While Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Interim Police Chief Chester Logan explore a restructuring of the city’s police department, some residents are expressing frustration with how their calls are being handled.

Detroiter Rachelle Guyton said she called 911 around 6:30 a.m. Saturday to report that her 2003 Chrysler Town & Country minivan had been stolen from an apartment building in Palmer Park — but it wasn’t the van she was worried about.

“I have a gun under my car seat, and when I called the police department to explain this to them and try to have them help… they didn’t give me any attention. They told me I had to wait until 8 o’clock to call back. What if someone gets shot with this? What if a child gets this in his hand? I’m responsible, and I just can’t have that on my conscience,” Guyton told WWJ’s Terri Lee.

Guyton, who has a CCW permit for her 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson, said she’s disappointed in how her call was handled, especially with all the talk about guns surrounding the city’s recently released crime statistics for 2012 — numbers which show the highest murder rate in the city in nearly 20 years.

“They’re not trying to make anything a top priority, they won’t send a car out here to investigate, they won’t do anything. So, I’m stuck here not concerned about the car whatsoever. I will take the bus, you know, that’s not important. The importance here is the gun and the safety for other people,” said Guyton.

Detroit police declined to comment on the situation.

Guyton said her minivan has a Michigan license plate number ”3HZH63″ and is midnight blue in color. Anyone with information is asked to call police.