Detroit's deadliest neighborhood: 48205 zip code

A Detroit News analysis found that the 48205 zip code in Detroit is one of the deadliest in the city. The area includes a population of 44,000 which equals 6% of the city's population, but is responsible for 15% of murders and 13% of shooting victims. From June 21-August 21, at least 38 people were shot and eight died in the area, a 6.5 square mile section of the city. In the same time frame citywide, there was a minimum of 254 shootings involving 303 victims, with at least 52 dying.

In an effort to combat the violence, Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee recently started Operation Inside Out: Night Angels, a program that re-deploys desk officers to patrol one 8-hour shift per week. The program has put an extra 40 to 50 officers on patrol each shift.

Urban gardens in Chicago

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Emanuel plans to present an ordinance to the Chicago city council that would expand the maximum size of urban gardens. The measure will also allow some produce sales in residential areas.

Youth safety program rolled out in six cities

An article in the New York Times describes a youth safety program being rolled out in six cities has been funded by a Department of Justice grant to raise the awareness of youth safety. The grants allow social groups to partner with businesses to provide these youth without temporary assistance during their time of need. In theory, a troubled youth walks into a store, asks for assistance. This sets off a call to a 24-hour hot line that dispatches a counselor to the scene. The counselor will then try to find temporary shelter arrangements and try to set up a reconciliation with the family. If that doesn't happen, the Department of Youth and Family Services is called in.

This program is meant to set up an alternative to the usual police station visit that these at-risk youth often end up facing.