Very interesting election in Nov. The unions teamed up with the dems, GOP, and chamber to push a new slate for the city council. They endorsed only whites, and one hispanic who was adopted and raised white. One was a GOPer.
The reason was the stupidity of the old minority council. They laid off lots of cops in favor of funding black pastors for "social grants". Murders have been climbing for the last three years.
ETA: The violence is taking place (90%) in an area known as the "woods".
Saginaw is divided east and west by the river running north. The east side was surrendered to blacks and some hispanics many years ago as their area. The north side gang, centered near a mostly closed major rail yard, is fighting with the south gang, centered in an abandoned retail district. The "woods" are streets, mostly ending in "wood" or tree names, in the middle zone near the east side high school (ie. elmwood, oak...)
The police force was recently reduced by another 10 officers, leaving ~ 50 left for patrol duties (out of 90, including school, dets, command, task forces) That means about 8 per shift, four on each side of the river means 2 or 4 cars at any given time. All white cops are accused of racism at any black arrest (funny story: The white union pres told the city council last time they laid off cops that the dead cops blood, from the next shooting, would be on their hands. The black city council fired him again and started a state investigation of his racist threat to kill all black council members. It didn't really go anywhere because the conversation was on film).
The state police and adjoining township to the west, as well as the sheriff, have been helping a little, but mostly on the west side of the river to help hold the line for the west side. That means the east side is wide open, police wise, in the middle of a gang war.