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Former Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans has been handed the reins as Detroit Police Chief, replacing James Barren in a surprise move from Mayor Bing. We'll talk to Evans about his plans for curbing crime in Detroit. 

WDET reporter Martina Guzman will talk to talk to Dominique Monde and Soledad Nelson, members of Haiti Outreach. The non-profit group, based out of St. Blase Church on Detroit's east side, sends physicians and medical supplies to the remotest corners of Haiti. We'll also talk to one of the founders of the organization, Roger Matthews. This is part of our our occasional series, Feet In Two Worlds.

We'll talk to Amy Lane, a reporter from Crain's Detroit Business, whose story this week focuses on Senate and House opposition to a bill that would promote tourism in Michigan. 

Professor Laura Bartell of the Wayne State University Law School will discuss how General Motors will navigate bankruptcy in order to restructure. She teaches courses in bankrupcy and creditors' rights. We'll then be joined by Dr. Sean McAlinden, Vice President for Research and chief economist for the Center for Automotive Research. He'll talk about whether GM has a chance for profitability in the near future. Then, attorney Steve Jakubowski will tell us about his clients who are appealing the GM bankruptcy.

Finally, University of Detroit English professor Nick Rombes will chat about his new book, "A Cultural Dictionary of Punk."

Listener Comments

I don't care one way or another about James Barren but as a resident of Detroit, I'm hugely disappointed that Charlie Beckham, I mean Dave Bing, couldn't be bothered to conduct a national search for the best possible police chief. If the Detroit Police Department is so rife with problems, shouldn't Detroit look outside southeast Michigan for fresh leadership.

I have two major issues with Warren Evans. First is his association with the Shrine of Black Madonna which, in 2009, should be as irrelevant and archaic as Don Lobsinger's Breakthrough was in 1969. Second, his ownership of the blind pig in Corktown that his own deputies had to raid. Is it really too much to ask that chief law enforcement official not participate in illegal enterprises?

http://www.dyspathy.com

Monday, July 6, 2009 by WF

It's sad to see Dr. James Barren leave his post as Police Chief. His appointment was such a welcome sign several months ago. Dr. barren is a class act with quite a resume of police work. Hopefully, Warren Evans will be an effective replacement. His quote in your news story posted on the WDET website is very interesting, to say the least.

Monday, July 6, 2009 by Brian in Ludington

Mayor Bing maybe was premature in stating early in his tenure that he would reain Jim Barren but as chief executive of our nation's 11th largest city, he has every right to do so as Ken Cockrel did as Interim Mayor. A sitting mayor, by the way, appoints, re-appoints or unappoints up to 150 Mayoral Appointees and has the authority, per the City Charter, to appoint all DPD executives from Inspector through Chief of Police. Chief Barren's failings is not his own, a lot of it can rest squarely with Cockrel as Interim Mayor and his then Deputy Mayor (and now Group Executive over Public Safety) Saul Green. The media bares some responsibility, too, for not asking the right questions or keeping the heat under our political and appointed leadership---here's a few items: 1) DPD Overtime exceeds over $30 million per year. Logic should tell anyone with a crime problem that if I have $30MM to spend on overtime; I have enough money to put 300 to 400 beat cops on the streets immediately (and that figure is pretty accurate given we're losing 30 to 40 officers to retirement each month). Not once in the eight months of the Cockrel Administration did he or Saul Green ever present a plan for the recruitment and retention of officers. 2) The taxpayers of Detroit never once receieved a preliminary assessment of the Consent Decree during the Barren/Cockrel tenure and the near 100 items left undone by the Kilpatrick Administration---Saul Green was hired to do just this as he was in Cinncinati years ago to some accomplishment; and, 3) The city of Detroit still spends anywhere from $90MM to $125MM for Risk Management, which is basically our annual payout for lawsuits gone wild---and the bulk of those lawsuits fall to the DPD and for the past nine months the responsibility of Mr. Green and others. This is a training issue the department must get some control overbecause this represents over one-third of the deficit. Lastly, Detroit has over 15 red centers closed. The lack of recreational opportunities produce crime and anyone with a modicum of administrative ability understands this. Mayor Kilpatrick was correct in trying to address this by partnering with neighborhood churches in close proximity to rec centers. Historic Little Rock Baptist Church was able to get a Operating Management Agreement similar to the DIA and Detroit Zoo and then President Cockrel and councilwoman Watson essentially killed the deal because they not for churches running rec centers---amazing. It is precisely these types of public-private partnerships that is going to save the City of Detroit---we will not survive if we do nothing.

Monday, July 6, 2009 by Victor L. Marsh, Sr.