Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans should be commended for the time and attention he has given to our community in the wake of recent crimes which claimed the lives of three Arab American business owners in Detroit.Evans met privately with community leaders this week and then addressed concerns at an open forum.  We look forward to our community’s continued collaboration with him and his department.The recession has hit everyone in the pocketbook, especially in Michigan. When jobs and money disappear, the crime rate goes up. Stopping crime is everyone’s responsibility.Police response times in Detroit are poor and Evans must find a way to improve that. Arab and Chaldean owned businesses choosing to remain in the city deserve to be fully protected as they add to the economy.  Our nation is rich in resources which need to be re-allocated from the defense budget to the domestic budget.But what are we, as a community, doing?We first have to change the way we feel and think about the City of Detroit. It is the center of the universe for Michigan residents. 900,000 people live there and they need to be served. We then need to improve our relationship with the customer base in Detroit, which is primarily African American at the moment.Metro Detroit Youth Day on Belle Isle is perhaps the best example of an Arab American leader — Ed Deeb — whose organizations have partnered with and formed alliances with Detroit-based groups to serve the youth of Detroit. That type of effort should be replicated many times over.Then, leaders of business and community organizations need to become more informed about the latest security technology and teach business owners how to purchase and operate it.Regular meetings with law enforcement and communicating with each other about the latest scams are also important.This is not an easy time. But it behooves us all to work for Detroit’s recovery.