Report from the AP:

Women will be prohibited from wearing short skirts in a section of downtown as Detroit police battle a rise sexual assaults in the area.



Police are encouraging women to dress modestly and request a male escort when using the sidewalk. Macy's is reducing rates on its full-length skirts and pantsuits as part of the initiative.



Police say in a release that skirt violations will be enforced and patrols in the area west of Woodward will be increased to prevent assaults.



The initiative was started Thursday.

Ok, I’m making that up. There is no downtown short skirt ban.

The AP story is real, but references to street parking were replaced with references to short skirts, and references to vehicle break-ins were replaced with references to sexual assault.

All of which is to prove a point: You don't punish victims or potential victims for crime. Penalizing patrons of downtown businesses because someone else might break into their cars is both morally repugnant and counter-productive to the goal of a vibrant, revitalized downtown.

Here is what the story actually said:

According to reports on social media, the Park Ave. entertainment district--home to the Town Pump,

, and the Park Bar--has already witnessed mass towings, even though signage informing motorists of the new parking rules hasn't yet been installed. The city reportedly will refund the towing fees, but still, how obnoxious?

This policy is nothing short of an embarrassing admission of futility by an absolutely hapless police department. Rather than seeking a constructive solution to a problem afflicting an increasingly vibrant business district, Detroit officials elected to punish law-abiding citizens and entrepreneurs making a go of it in Detroit.

That this punish-the-victim approach may benefit a

corporate parking enterprise (Olympia) and the equally

is probably just a coincidence. It’s also just a happy accident that tighter parking rules and vehicle towing will likely net the city revenue, while effective policing and incarcerating bandits are net expenses.

Three cheers for running government like a business!