DETROIT — On New Years Eve, a local 43-year-old woman was shot in the leg at the Citgo gas station located at Evergreen Rd and Fenkell in Detroit while visiting her friend, who is a cashier at the location. The incident marks the latest in a string of gas station robberies involving 3-5 young men who are all dressed in black with their faces covered and carrying AK-47 rifles.

The gas station clerk and the woman survived the incident, but not before the suspects destroyed the gas station in an attempt to steal the ATM machine. Three of the suspects were ramming a stolen van into the building, while the fourth man was inside of the station firing shots at the clerk and the woman, who were behind bullet proof glass. After several minutes of unsuccessful attempts, the suspects decided to flee the scene in another vehicle, leaving behind the stolen van.

These types of events seem to be quite the norm at Detroit gas stations nowadays. In the last three months, over 20 similar incidents occurred at various gas stations throughout the city. Most of these stations are owned by Arab Americans. The suspects are believed to be young black males in their 20’s, aided with AK-47 handguns. The suspects usually destroy as much property as possible in attempts to grab any cash they can. According to Detroit Police, these suspects have stolen thousands of dollars and put the lives of dozens in danger.

All of the incidents have occurred between 1 a.m. and 7.a.m. and take place within a span of a minute or two. According to the Detroit Police, despite the one injury that occurred on December 31st, no one else has been injured or killed, but the suspects seem to be getting more aggressive with each robbery. At the Citgo gas station on New Years Eve, the robber inside of the store attempted to shoot the clerk through the bullet proof glass, but he was able to get out of harms way.

Surveillance video shows one of the incidents in a string of gas station robberies involving 3-5 young men who are all dressed in black with their faces covered, carrying AK-47 handguns.

Local Arab owners are being more cautious now than ever it seems. One owner, who has owned a Marathon gas station for over twenty years says that the Detroit Police Department is being negligent when it comes to capturing these suspects or putting a stop to similar situations.

“It has gotten so much worse over the years. Sometimes when we make police calls, they don’t even show up until 12 hours later, and their excuse is that they have to prioritize. They never return calls for Arab business owners,” the Gas station owner stated, wishing to remain anonymous.

The Marathon owner says no major robberies have yet occurred at his station, but there have been numerous occasions when he or his staff have had to make calls out to the police, and he claims they never respond accordingly. He says his gas station has been able to maintain good relations with their daily customers, and they’ve had to take measures into their own hands.

“Most of the males that come into the store have grown up here. I know where they live and I know who their families are. So if they steal, I put them on the spot and let them know that I can knock on their doors and easily put them away for 2-5 years. That’s how we defend ourselves, not by force of law,” the Marathon owner added.

Another gas station owner of a Sunoco in Detroit says over the course of the 15 years that he has owned the station, they have gotten robbed on numerous occasions, both in day and night, and most times weapons have been involved. He also believes the Detroit Police Department needs to change their day to day operations.

“An improvement is not even the right word to use. They are worse than the police in countries like Afghanistan. I don’t think they should even be called a Police Department to tell you the truth. Most of these cops just like to drive around these gas stations and get free food. They are not well trained and they are not well equipped,” the Sunoco owner stated.

But not everyone points the finger at the Detroit Police Department. Retired Detroit Police Department Supervisor Sam Jaafar says officers can only do so much as resources have dwindled over the years. Officers are also required to fill out a Police Action Incident Report under a federal consent decrees to ensure accountability and correct practices are taking place when a weapon is drawn against an armed person. The officers are subject to investigation by a supervisor, putting them under great scrutiny and stress. Officers are less likely to go the extra mile to apprehend a suspect with all these obstacles in place.

“Detroit Police officers are underpaid and overworked. When they respond to a crime scene, they have to worry about being under scrutiny for firing a weapon, which has really killed police morale. They don’t have the support as they used to back in the day,” Jaafar stated.

Jaafar says at one time, there were over 5,000 police officers working the streets on a daily basis, but those numbers have dropped drastically over the years. He says now there is less than 2,000 officers, and at least half of them aren’t even patrolling the streets, making it all the more difficult for them to be near a crime scene while it’s occurring.

“We need a higher form of government to step in, whether it’s the Michigan National Guard or the U.S. Military. At this rate, Detroit is going to end up being an abandoned city. Business owners and residents are being chased out of town because of these thugs who are carrying illegal weapons and killing innocent people. The sad thing is, there are so many good residents in the city who don’t deserve this. There needs to be an overhaul, like how there was in New York City. We need to get a mayor in here who has a law enforcement background and can help turn things around,” Jaafar added.

Those who believe they have information regarding the gas station suspects carrying the AK-47’s are being asked to contact Detroit Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at 313-596-1340 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP. The Detroit Police Department was unable to respond at press time to this story.