DETROIT – A Detroit man is fighting against scrappers in his neighborhood by documenting them in the act.
Stephen Boyle works in Downtown Detroit, where he sees the city’s resurgence, but he comes home to witness scrappers tearing apart houses.
He rides a bus part of the way home and walks the rest of the way to his neighborhood near Woodward Avenue and West Nevada Street. When he’s out, he stays aware.
"I observe so much more and interact so much more on our streets than so many other people get a chance to," Boyle said.
While walking one day, he heard siding being ripped off a vacant house. He caught a photo of a truck with out-of-state plates.
"They're just parasites within the system,” Boyle said. "All of the things that prevent the house from falling apart are being taken away."
Boyle believes the houses being targeted by scrappers could be saved, and that's what he would like to see.
He posted the photos to the city's Improve Detroit app, and he will be meeting with Detroit police to show them his photos and videos.
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