We all know Detroit's in trouble: A bankrupt city full of crumbling houses, abandoned factory buildings, and a fast-dwindling population.
But while politicians, unions, and investors slug it out in bankruptcy court and grasp for their share of what little cash is left, ordinary citizens are left to fend for themselves in a city with no functioning government. This is Reason TV's coverage of what happens when people are left to their own devices and forced to come up with creative ways to pick up the pieces and find solutions in a city they once loved.
This is #Anarchy in Detroit, a four-part series showcasing what actual Detroit residents are doing to make the Motor City a better place to live.
In Part II, Reason TV collaborated with Free Detroit's Local Focus to highlight the story of Detroit Threat Management, a private security firm that provides cheap car-to-front door escorts to small business owners, security details to large companies, free protection to local neighborhoods plagued by violent crime, and self-defense training to Detroit citizens. Dale Brown, one of the founders, sees their service as essential in a city with a crime rate five times the national average.
"I attribute the bankruptcy and all the economic issues to a lack of safety," says Brown. "If you don't feel safe, why would you invest there?"
Watch the video above, and check out the rest of the series here. Part I profiles The Mower Gang, a rag-tag group of beer drinking, weed-whacking do-gooders who've taken it upon themselves to care for Detroit's abandoned parks. Part III explores Fireweed Universe City, a neighborhood of anarchist squatters. And Part IV takes a look at one man's wild idea to purchase an island in the Detroit River and turn it into a libertarian paradise. Or, watch the whole thing here.
Approximately 3 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller, Mike Lamentola and Tony Lamentola. Interview conducted by Katie Testa. Additional footage from Tracy Oppenheimer, Paul Detrick, and Weissmueller. Music by Cassiopee Asphodel and Treaty.
Check out Free Detroit's great coverage of this topic and others in their Detroit Local Focus series, which provided interview footage for this piece.
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