David Harris is a police reporter in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, which is American’s most dangerous city according to FBI statistics. He just did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. A few exchanges follow.

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Question:

All of my family is from Flint and lives all over the city and the township. With current unemployment rates being reported at just above 10% in Flint and about 7.1% in Flint township, unemployment seems to be effecting Flint like other cities in the US. What do you think is the main cause for the violence other than unemployment and the economy.

David Harris:

Not necessarily in order: Lack of education, loss of hope, declining police force, lost city services, breakdown of the family structure, lack of respect for life.

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Question:

I lived in Flint and went to Kettering. I used to live on Sunset over by Mott Park and the golf course.

David Harris:

One thing that always intrigued me about Flint was that it was this crime-ridden town with all kinds of violence and theft, yet you could go weeks at a time without realizing you were in that sort of a town. It just seemed like an interesting dichotomy to me. We would go to school and walk past normal middle class neighborhoods and then, one day, we’d randomly see a guy hanging by his neck from the bridge over the Flint River.

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Question:

Knowing what you know and seeing what you see, do you ever fall into that illusion that Flint is a “normal” town from time to time? Or is that now impossible for you?

David Harris: 

I’ve always felt that Flint was far from normal. I think covering it up close has made me realize that even more. 

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Question:

What do you think about the stark contrast between the cities in Michigan? Ann Arbor, where I live, is constantly in the top five cities to live in (lists based on various criteria.), yet you have the most dangerous city in the country not too far away.

David Harris:

This is just my opinion, but cities like Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids for that matter, were not as tied to the auto industry as Flint and Detroit. They have much more diverse economies with different businesses, including universities. Flint has never been able to put back in what GM left.

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Question:

Is there anything nice about the city? Parks, attractions, etc.?

David Harris:

There are many good things about the city. The downtown has seen a revival the last 10 years or so with new bars, restaurants and residential apartments. The local colleges, the University of Michigan-Flint, Kettering (formerly General Motors Institute), Baker and Mott Community College, have grown. 

Plus we have two really awesome events, The Crim Road Race and Back to the Bricks car show, that bring hundreds of thousands of people in the city.

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Question:

What are your thoughts on Michael Moore? Do you think anything he has produced has impacted Flint in any way? 

David Harris: 

Michael is certainly a controversial figure in the city. Flint would certainly be less known nationally if it wasn’t for his movies.

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Question:

What steps, if any do you think the city could take to reduce crime to a more manageable level?

David Harris:

I’ve said this before: If I had millions, I would start a program similar to the Kalamzaoo Promise that pays for college education for kids in that city and if I had superpowers, I would entrust respect of others into everyone.•

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The “Pets or Meat” segment from Roger and Me: