Parents For Children
Held another rally at the
Lincoln Hall of Justice.

Detroit News
February 6, 2008

Security outside court slammed

Family support group calls for added protection
at Lincoln Hall of Justice to reduce car burglaries.

Delores Flynn / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Going to the Lincoln Hall of Justice last month to discuss visitation for her granddaughter was rough enough for Reta Coleman, but things got worse when she left the family court to find the rear passenger window of her car smashed and five nearby cars burglarized.

"They stole my purse with $140, a work badge and ran up $500 on my credit card. Now I don't have money to fix the car," she said. "It really makes me angry. This is a place of business. There needs to be better security out here. The city should protect the citizens of Detroit."

Detroit resident Sam Briggs, 50, rallies with Parents for Children outside of the Lincoln Hall of Justice. (Madalyn Ruggiero / Special to The Detroit News)

Coleman and five others from the Parents for Children rallied outside the facility for two hours Tuesday to protest what they claim is a lack of protection near the court on East Forest near Russell. The 10-year-old Dearborn organization has supporters across the state who work to address problems in family court. Officials estimate there are two car break-ins daily near Lincoln Hall, but police reports aren't always filed.

"Hundreds of families come here on a regular basis trying to get their kids back only to come out of court to face the additional burden of broken into cars. I understand cities have tight budgets, but something needs to be done," said Dan Wilson, director of Parents for Children.