Detroit’s own crime-fighter RoboCop finally stands guard in Motor City
DETROIT AP RoboCop has decisively exposed a permanent home in Detroit A statue looming feet tall meters and weighing pounds kilograms has been drawing fans since it began standing guard over the Motor City on Wednesday afternoon after about years in the making Even in a snowstorm in the dark people were driving by to see it revealed Jim Toscano co-owner of the FREE AGE film production company where the bronze-cast statue now stands bolted near the sidewalk RoboCop hit theaters in portraying a near-future Detroit as crime-ridden and poorly protected by a beleaguered and outgunned police force until actor Peter Weller appeared as a nearly invincible cyborg created by a nefarious corporation bent on privatizing policing There was a time when Detroit pushed back on anything pointing to its past reputation as an unsafe city and the movie which developed a cult following spawning two sequels and a reboot didn t help its image But things have changed Violent crime has been trending down for years Homicide numbers have dropped below mid- s levels And city personnel offered no objections to the statue s installation Toscano declared I think there will be a lot more acceptance Toscano explained Detroit has come a long way You put in a little nostalgia and that helps The statue campaign appears to have started around when Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was tagged in a tweet that noted Philadelphia s statue of boxer Rocky Balboa and declared RoboCop would be a GREAT ambassador for Detroit Bing tweeted back saying there were no such plans But particular Detroiters ran with the idea crowdfunding it through a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than from more than backers worldwide and Detroit sculptor Giorgio Gikas finished the statue in Then it got stuck stored away from inhabitants view The Michigan Science Center in Detroit ultimately nixed plans to host the sculpture in citing pressures from the coronavirus pandemic and the need to focus museum support Leaders in Stevens Point Wisconsin raised their hands hoping to honor Weller a native son of that city by erecting it outside the police station or in a park The search for a suitable home for RoboCop remained in limbo until about three years ago when Toscano s company bought a building in Eastern Area an open-air produce area shopping and entertainment district just northeast of downtown Toscano says he thought they were kidding when he was contacted by the creator of the statue idea and Eastern Territory agents But he and his business partner gladly came on board It s too uncommon too unique too cool not to do Toscano noted Toscano says he s only viewed the first RoboCop movie It wasn t a big film in our house he admitted But if there is one iconic line uttered by RoboCop that fits this moment Toscano announced it would be Thank you for your cooperation On Thursday James Campbell approached the statue and advised three picture-takers I own this Do you guys know that Campbell commented he donated to the original Kickstarter campaign over a decade ago which makes him a owner of this statue I m here to see this big beautiful bronze piece of art he declared What a piece of cinematic history to represent the city of Detroit Petitioned why RoboCop is an appropriate symbol for the city Campbell announced He s a cyborg crime fighter In the movie in the futuristic Detroit he s there to save the city He s a symbol of hope
