Detroit woman calls 911 to report stolen gun, told to call back later!

A woman in Detroit yesterday called police to report her minivan had been stolen. This in itself isn't a major issue and might not be a surprise to hear she had been told to call back during business hours. She was calling at 6:30am and they open normal offices, apparently, at 8. However, there was a twist to her minivan issue that makes the 'Sorry, call back later...' worth noting and talking 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.

Source - CBS News - Detroit

I would think they'd be a little more interested by the fact she had this loaded weapon under her seat when it was stolen. She makes a good point about this being far more a stolen gun call, still quite fresh to be reporting for something to be done about in the interest of public safety than any technical report for insurance on a stolen vehicle.

There is a whole additional topic within the story here about people leaving their firearms in their vehicles to BE stolen in the first place. Given this was the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning and at an apartment building, I can't help but wonder if she makes a habit of leaving it in there 'just in case' or if this was an unusual event. It's possible she left it there this one time out of respect for someone else inside. If not, I'd say her permit status needs to be reviewed for her lack of ability to maintain physical control over the firearm she is permitted and responsible for keeping within her control at all times.

Regardless of why it came to be there, what does it say in a city that has suffered drastic cuts in public safety as well as city services across all levels to be told even a stolen firearm call doesn't rate more than calling back to file a report when officers are in the business offices to take it?

Guess this goes along with prioritizing, and this: Visit Detroit at your own risk, police union warns

The Detroit Police Officers Association is warning citizens and out-of-towners that they enter Detroit at their own risk, saying that the "grossly understaffed" and overworked police force cannot adequately protect the public in the increasingly violent city.

Yep. This seems to be the case.

then again this is detroit we are talking about. feel bad for the cops there.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


They probably don't care anymore. What's another gun in the hands of criminals in that city?

Most guns used in crimes are stolen from legal owners. That is just the way it is. I have said in before and I will say it again. To many gun owners are idiots. They are the people that end with thier guns in the hands of crimminals, children and nut bags. They make the rest of us look bad. Maybe we should have an IQ test to buy guns? Or at least a test like take to drive. As for the cops? Rushing a squad car over to take a report in a place like detroit would not be a good use of resources. Nothing they could about it anyway.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Unless I overlooked it, there is no information provided about the actual time that her vehicle was stolen. Since the vehicle was stolen from the parking lot where she lived, and since she noticed at 6:30a.m. Saturday morning, it is likely that the actual theft had occurred long before(probably during the very early morning hours, or late Friday night).

Unless it had just happened only moments before she called, it was not an emergency that would require immediate attention. 911 is for emergencies.

She shouldn't have left it in her van. Why would she not be worried of someone breaking into her stuff. Never leave a weapon in a car unless you have too and never over night. I have heard of stories of cops leaving weapons in their cars and them being stolen.

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
Guess this goes along with prioritizing, and this: Visit Detroit at your own risk, police union warns

The Detroit Police Officers Association is warning citizens and out-of-towners that they enter Detroit at their own risk, saying that the "grossly understaffed" and overworked police force cannot adequately protect the public in the increasingly violent city.

Yep. This seems to be the case.

WOW this is just a calling card for criminals.

And again this Detroit we're talkng about here. Someone call Robocop.

Seriously, irresponsible people leaving guns in car should be charge with a crime if that gun is used.

If you can't take responsibility owning a gun then don't carry it round or have a ccw.

Originally posted by SecludedGamer

then again this is detroit we are talking about. [color=DCFFD1]feel bad for the cops there.

A cop becomes a cop because he wants to be a cop. They don't have to be there.






reply to post by marbles87

Originally posted by marbles87

Im confused.. She has a CCW and a gun and didn't know what to do about a gun? How about secure it WITHOUT smearing your finger prints all over it incase it was used in a crime and handle it accordingly. What was she expecting all patrol cars to her van? I get it she found a gun which is not hers and it concerned her but damn girl to have a gun of your own and then say "what if xxx got ahold of it" bitch secure the weapon and wait for police when available or take it to them.

Read it again.

It was her gun.
It was underneath the driver's seat of her van.
Her van was stolen.

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
Guess this goes along with prioritizing, and this: Visit Detroit at your own risk, police union warns

The Detroit Police Officers Association is warning citizens and out-of-towners that they enter Detroit at their own risk, saying that the "grossly understaffed" and overworked police force cannot adequately protect the public in the increasingly violent city.

Yep. This seems to be the case.

I think they need to pass that warning on to Chicago visitors as well... 500+ murders in 2012, this is 1980s murder rates all over again.

What Detroit should do is hire PSC's and clean that city out. Put down the criminals and help secure the citizens and police since the officers are so overbeat.

reply to post by BrokenCircles

I guess it's all relative and a matter of where you live. I started listening to the scanner in my own community here awhile back as a background thing when I realized it's far from the quiet community the scene on the street outside would lead one to believe. Due to that experience of hearing various calls, I can say with fair confidence that a fresh stolen vehicle known to have a loaded gun inside would prompt a city wide alert and bulletin at the very least.

Although, I don't share the story as an anti-police one. It's a story of the police being under funded, under manned or just unavailable for important calls if nothing else on that side of it. I wouldn't imagine the dispatcher was looking at a screen of Officers parked at a waffle house or coffee shop having breakfast and didn't want to disturb them. There is no way to know for certain, but I'd guess she was looking at a screen with little to nothing available to send ...and given what is known of Detroit resource levels in countless recent stories...had come to be used to seeing it when calls like this came in. Of course, that's nothing she could tell a caller or the media if she cared to keep her position in the dispatch center.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Ok so what's the problem here?

Oh my bad I thought she found a gun under her seat that wasn't hers after her can was stolen and she got the van back. That's how the quote made it sound. That happened to my mom she found a lighter gun under her seat after we got the car back from being stolen.

I digress

Detroit is on a downward spiral and has been for some time now and i know the police are stretched and understaffed but isn't a gun being stolen a big deal in America anymore like if it is used in a murder it will be traced back to her ?

Sorry if i seem stupid i don't know alot about gun laws.

Originally posted by Snoopie
Detroit is on a downward spiral and has been for some time now and i know the police are stretched and understaffed but isn't a gun being stolen a big deal in America anymore like if it is used in a murder it will be traced back to her ?

Sorry if i seem stupid i don't know alot about gun laws.

This a part of example why we have mass shootings and such. Guns are laying around like camera ads and unfortunate incidents are and have been occurring.

This is why guns law are going to get stricter but it not going to curve the problem.

To add a bit for context to the thread, I tracked this down for those unfamiliar with the emergency situation that Detroit has had building now for quite some time.

Owner: Loitering teens taking over Detroit gas station, driving business away

DETROIT (WJBK) -
A Detroit man says his business is being held hostage by a group of teenagers who continually loiter inside and out of his gas station.

He says his clerks are too frightened to take action against the teens and he's worried that the loitering could lead to violence.

Detroit police have been called numerous times to the store, but the owner says right after officers disperse the crowd and leave the scene, the teens returns to their normal posts.

Source

It's quite a city for lack of funding and effective local government by any standard.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

I can say with fair confidence that a fresh stolen vehicle known to have a loaded gun inside would prompt a city wide alert and bulletin at the very least.

But how long does 'Fresh' last? That's basically what I was trying to say: As far as I can tell, this was not a fresh crime, which is why the 911 Operator didn't see it as being an emergency. 911 is for emergencies.





reply to post by marbles87

Originally posted by marbles87

Ok so what's the problem here?

I don't see one either.

If I lived in Detroit i'd be out every night with an M4 on my back acting on behalf of the citizenry as a Vigilante.

Where are the Michigan militias? They should fight the gangs if no one else will..

"I'm responsible and I don't want someone being killed on my conscience."

...leaves gun in car.

Huurrrr...