I'm pretty sure they have cops now. I drive past the mini-station about 4 days a week and there's usually cops in marked cars driving in the area on Woodward. And I have seen people being pulled over in the general vicinity.
Highland Park is actually significantly less scary than it was a few years ago. I'll admit I usually keep my hand a little closer to my hip when I drive through, but the volume of crazy crackheads wandering in the middle of the road has dropped like 40%. I take Woodward home because it's less of a hassle than 75, and sometimes that means I'm sitting at every other light at 2-3-4 in thr morning. It's not exactly Northville, but I don't feel like death is imminent anymore either.