DPD task force reducing Downtown Detroit car break-ins

DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) - A dedicated task force is actively working on reducing the occurrence of car break-ins and other criminal activities in Downtown Detroit, police said.

This comes after The Kiffness, a South African artist on a national tour, had to cancel a Detroit show after thieves stole $5,000 worth of equipment. The tour car was broken into twice before the gig.

"We don’t want someone to come down to have their car broken into," said Detroit Police Commander Michael Chambers. "That's not something we want at all."

Others said car break-ins in Downtown Detroit is an issue that consistently worries them when they visit.

"I barely bring stuff when I come down, just in case," one Metro-Detroit resident said.

 However, police say they are working hard to make sure the trend does not continue.

"Over the last several weeks, because of the different strategies we’ve been deploying, we are seeing double-digit reductions with our larcenies, as well as some of our violent crimes," Chambers said. "We know that we have a lot of work to do but we're going to stay at it."

Strategies include the visible presence of uniformed officers, as well as undercover patrols during nights with significant crowds.

"If we see a certain area spiking up with burglaries, or any type of complaint, we try and put officers in those areas," which is what occurred in The Kiffness case, Chambers said. 

After the first break-in, another person climbed through the artist's vehicle's window to try and steal band merch. That attempted theft was caught on camera, and the suspect was arrested.

"This is just a great example of the owner of the vehicle, as well as a parking attendant quickly alerting police, and we responded quickly, and we were able to bring him into custody," Chambers said.

According to the Detroit police, they are currently in the process of collecting evidence, and there is a possibility that the individual in custody may be responsible for multiple car break-ins. The case is considered active at this time.