Scrap metal theft is becoming a growing problem in the greater Detroit region. What can be done to prevent foreclosed homes and vacant buildings from being stripped by metal thieves? Callers weigh in.

Though polls show that the majority of Americans support background checks on people who want to purchase guns, the senate defeated the bill yesterday.

Craig talks with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy about funding cuts, and what happened yesterday in court.

Al Taylor of the Peace Project and Dr. Carl Taylor, Professor at Michigan State and expert in urban violence and stable communities, join Craig and callers for a conversation about Gun Violence and school-age youth after a special program by This American Life.

The defense has rested it's case in the trial of former mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. Fox 2's M.L. Elrick joins Craig and callers to go over the various aspects of the case and what could happen next.

Detroit News Reporter George Hunter analyses last year's homicide statistics in Detroit by looking at where these crimes take place, and which neighborhoods have had few or no murders.

Mayor Bing announced plans to restructure the Detroit Police Department to help improve its crime fighting efforts. Among the changes "to reallocate manpower by either eliminating or consolidating specialized functions within the department. The department’s resources need to be better aligned and primarily assigned to patrol and investigative entities within the department, to increase the overall safety of our citizens and members. Additional personnel reallocated to precincts/districts will be assigned based on data relative to crime and calls for service" Craig speaks with DPD Inspector Charles Wilson about the changes.

WDET volunteer Lori Robinson speaks with Kalimah Johnson, Founder and Executive Director of SASHA, about her efforts to help victims of sexual assault in Detroit.

Craig Fahle spoke to WDET Senior News Editor and Reporter Quinn Klinefelter about Mayor Dave Bing releasing a breakdown of Detroit's crime statistics for 2012 at a media briefing held today 10:00 AM (Thursday) in the Executive Conference Room of the Mayor's Office. Mayor Bing was joined by Interim Chief of Police Chester L. Logan; Assistant Chief Paul Welles; Inspector Dwane Blackmon, commanding officer of the Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Unit; and other top police officials.

Governor Snyder yesterday vetoed legislation that would have allowed conceal and carry in schools and churches. Craig speaks with Michigan Public Radio Network Capitol Bureau Chief, Rick Pluta for more information on the Governors decision to veto the bills.

Matthew W. Seeger, crisis and emergency risk communication expert, who has written extensively on school shootings, can discuss the handling of the crises and the long-term impact.

Craig speaks with Writer Nadya Labi about an article she recently wrote for The New Yorker which looks at the case of Vincent Smothers, a convicted hitman from Detroit who worked for local drug kingpins. Smothers confessed to nine murders in 2007 but by that time, another man, Davontae Sanfrod, had already confessed to them. Smothers has since worked to get Sanfrod out of jail for falsely taking credit for the murders.

WDET's Rob St. Mary visits Detroit's Cody Rouge neighborhood to see the efforts made to improve community under Skillman's "Good Neighborhoods" program.

Kwame Kilpatrick Trial: Reporter M.L. Elrick suggests enemies on the stand would have been more beneficial for Kwame's defense than his friends.

To date, at least twenty-one serial rapists have been identified in the massive rape investigations led by Detroit Prosecutor, Kym Worthy. She is leading the charge to investigate more than 11,000 police rape kits which contain swabs of semen, saliva, and other evidence of rape. Craig speaks with Kym about the latest developments on these critical investigations and how her techniques might be applied nationally.

Craig speaks with Former Wayne State University President Irvin Reid and WSU Police Chief Anthony Holt about an upcoming forum called City Under Siege. Here are the details: On September 20 and 21, 2012, the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS) at Wayne State University will present City Under Siege: A University Forum on the Crime Crisis in Detroit. The two-day symposium takes place on our Detroit campus and explores the concept of community policing as a strategy for reducing crime in urban areas such as Detroit.

The program will feature a variety of speakers and panelists including William J. Bratton, author, former Chief of Police for Los Angeles, California. Mr. Bratton, who also served as Police Commissioner for the cities of New York and Boston, will deliver the keynote address on the morning of September 21. Barbara McQuade, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Ralph Godbee, Chief of the Detroit Police Department also have agreed to participate in the program.

Detroit’s future hinges in large part on whether or not we can solve our crime problem. For too long, Detroit’s image has been one synonymous with crime. More than once, our city has topped the list of the most dangerous cities in America. Staggering poverty, widespread unemployment and a failing school system have so far exacerbated Detroit’s crime epidemic. And with our unparalleled budget crisis, hundreds fewer city police officers may be available to protect Detroit’s more than 700,000 citizens. It very well may be that our city can go no further until we find a way for residents, visitors and investors to feel safer - and actually be safer.

Craig speaks with Deborah LaBelle, Director of Juvenile Life-Without-Parole Project with the ACLU, and Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper about the SCOTUS decision barring states from imposing life-without-parole sentences on juveniles.

A study recently released by Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project shows that the length of time served in prison has significantly increased over the last two decades. Executive Director of Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending, Barbara Levine, speaks with WDET's Amy Miller about the Michigan statistics.

Craig talks about the legislature's rush to get spice and other dangerous substances off the shelves, while voters have a chance to decriminalize marijuana. Is there a contradiction? Callers discuss if the “zero tolerance” policy on alcohol and marijuana is compounding the problem of illegal substances like k2.