09/07/2025
Public Comment returns from summer recess with Khary Frazier, Malachi Barrett (BridgeDetroit), and Thomaesa Bailey (We Own Everything) unpacking Detroit City Council’s first big move back: an ordinance sponsored by Scott Benson (passed 8–1, with Council President Mary Sheffield opposed) that shifts prosecution of certain misdemeanors—assault and battery, retail fraud, larceny, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, and expanded property damage—into the City Law Department starting July 2026. The team digs into capacity and cost: four new attorneys, two paralegals, about $750K seeded (largely with ARPA dollars) and lingering questions about unknown case volume, long-term pressure on the general fund, and whether restorative options recommended by council will truly guide outcomes. They also trace the historic threads—Recorder’s Court, separation of powers, and Detroit’s enduring debate over prevention vs. punishment—while probing the county–city handoff Prosecutor Kim Worthy supports and the fiscal cliff a future mayor will have to navigate.
Then the conversation zooms out to federalism and race, as the hosts assess talk of deploying National Guard troops to “Democrat-run” cities and what that could mean for a predominantly Black Detroit that still remembers 1967. They contrast traditional federal support (grants, DOJ partnerships) with the unprecedented optics of soldiers in city streets, and ask where Mayor Mike Duggan should stand as narratives about falling crime collide with calls for tougher enforcement. Tap in for clear context, tough questions, and practical civic insight—and join us every Thursday at 8 a.m. on Detroit is Different and BridgeDetroit to witness, engage, and amplify the voices shaping Detroit’s future.
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