Detroit Police Department Warning: Enter City At Your Own Risk

The Detroit Police Department probably won’t be winning any awards from the chamber of commerce. The union representing the officers is handing out flyers warning citizens that they should enter the city at their own risk.

In the meantime, suspended Chief of Police Ralph Godbee, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, has just submitted his retirement papers.

Police union attorney Donato Lorio expressed his concerns about what he considers an overworked, undermanned police force amidst the exploding Detroit crime wave to the CBS Detroit affiliate:

“Detroit is America’s most violent city, its homicide rate is the highest in the country and yet the Detroit Police Department is grossly understaffed. The DPOA believes that there is a war in Detroit, but there should be a war on crime, not a war on its officers.”

Detroit’s 2,000 police officers currently work 12-hour shits and had to accept concessions on pay and benefits because of the city’s dire financial condition. Compounding the problem is that hundreds of officers have reportedly quit in the past few months.

The flyer apparently being handed out by the police union says in part:

Attention: Enter Detroit At Your Own Risk

Unlike Cabrera, Detroit’s triple crown is one of infamy. It is a crown of thorns … consider

Detroit is America’s most violent city;

Detroit’s homicide rate is the highest in the country;

Detroit’s Police Department is grossly understaffed.

Chief Godbee got into hot water for having an affair with a subordinate who tweeted a picture of herself with her service revolver in her mouth. In 2010, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing (the former Pistons star) fired Godbee’s predecessor as chief of police for being romantically involved with a subordinate.

If you live or work in the Detroit area, are things as bad as portrayed by the police department?