Out on the street, be alert

Street crime has been a constant threat this summer.

By Charles Sercombe
Heads-up, drivers.
There were two carjackings that occurred in the past week.
The first one involved a trick commonly used: Last Saturday at about 11:30 p.m. a driver was at Caniff and Conant when he was bumped into by another car.
Unbeknownst to the driver, however, the bump was intentional. When the driver pulled over, three men exited the car behind him and pulled out the driver, pistol-whipped him and stole his cellphone and wallet.
The thieves then drove off in the victim’s car – a 1999 Toyota Corolla.
And then on Monday at 1 a .m. three males again attacked a driver in the 3900 block of Yemans. The suspects were armed with a shotgun and a pistol. The driver was robbed of his wallet and car.
While carjackings are not unheard of happening in Hamtramck, they don’t often occur.
Acting Police Chief Anne Moise said the incidents are being investigated by a metro area auto theft unit. Moise said if you are bumped by another car and suspect it was on purpose, stay in your car and call 911.
If it is dark out, she added, drive to a well-lit location, such as a gas station.
“Citizen safety is a priority and if someone feels uncomfortable about the situation or their surroundings they should contact police before they decide to confront someone outside their vehicle,” Moise said in an email.
“The same is true for people who appear to stop someone to ask for directions and carjack them.”

In other crime news, an unwelcome blast from the past returned this summer: There have been weekly reports of license plates being stolen.
The last time this was a trend was in the 1980s.
Drivers who either can’t afford a license plate or can’t get one because of a bad driving record take the plates and put them on their own car (or in some cases a stolen car).
Problem is, if a police officer runs the plate, it will come up stolen and the driver faces criminal charges.
Have to make a call or text while out on the street? You might want to hold off on that. There are also almost daily reports of people having their cellphones being snatched from their hands while walking the streets.
Thieves appear to come out of nowhere and just as quickly escape – in many cases on bicycles or in a nearby waiting car.
Some of these phones are worth several hundred dollars.