This is Part 1 of a 5-part series examining a private police force that has taken root in Detroit.
Detroit’s problems are well documented. High unemployment and rising crime rates are the most visible and most damaging. Government ineptitude and mismanagement of finances were the primary causes of and continue to compound these problems. This is especially true when it comes to police and security services. Detroit is one of the most dangerous cities in the US if not the world.
Dale Brown has made it his life’s work to correct this problem. As founder and CEO of Detroit’s Threat Management Center, Brown grew up in suburbia outside of Detroit. This upbringing instilled in him what turned out to be a naive view of police. Upon moving into Detroit, he was surprised by the local community’s distrust of the Detroit PD and law enforcement in general.
His work brought him close to the DPD where he quickly found that the community’s distrust was justified. He learned that the DPD was primarily focused on incarcerating as many people as possible under all conditions; guilt or innocence was not a concern. He observed the DPD as being shocked and offended when asked to help people of the community. He witnessed the DPD acting aggressively toward victims of crime.
His solution was the creation of what has grown into and is now known as Detroit’s Threat Management Center (TMC). A for-profit corporation, TMC’s results over the years speak for themselves – especially when compared to that of the DPD.
TMC provides for-hire security and bodyguard services to communities, businesses, and individuals. They provide protection services to the city’s poorest residents free of charge. The training provided to TMC employees is the best in the business.
The story of this company’s creation offers a glimpse into what the free market is capable of when it comes to provision of “public services” such as policing and security:
In the mid-1990s, Dale Brown came to an agreement with local businesses and landlords – in exchange for a place to live and a small stipend, Brown would hire a team to provide security to the area. That neighborhood was known as “Crack Alley” and was widely considered the most dangerous area in Detroit. It was one-square block, home to about 10 apartment buildings, 400 dwellings, several small businesses, and at least 100 violent aggressors. Crack Alley, before the arrival of Brown, saw multiple murders per month and daily home invasions.
In the 20+ years since the neighborhood’s agreement with Brown, there have been ZERO murders. The one and only home invasion occurred on Brown’s very first day – and he caught the guy.
The DPD doesn’t hold a candle to Dale Brown’s Threat Management Center.
This article “Public to Private: The Detroit PD Doesn’t Hold a Candle to This For-Profit Business” is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Jared Wall and emancipatedhuman.com.
