The City of Detroit reported a drop in juvenile crime this past summer, despite the so-called “teen takeovers” in the city.

Mary Sheffield is touting her Occupy the Summer Initiative as a major contributor to the drop in crime among young people.

In April, the mayor announced a six-point community safety plan that included the 10-week long initiative, neighborhood action teams and promoting safe gun storage.

Sheffield says she plans to bring the event back next year. “…the numbers really showed us that our strategy is working…that gives us more of a reason to advocate before the city council to make larger investments in our young people…we will have at least what we had this year and (will) continue to find ways to expand this project year-round.”

The city reports juvenile homicides dropped from nine last summer to one this summer. Nonfatal shootings among young people were down 22%.

Additional Headlines for Oct. 6, 2026

DTE to host energy assistance, customer-centric events throughout October

DTE Energy is hosting four resource events this month to help DTE customers apply for energy assistance, receive help with payment options, get shutoff protection and more.

Funding for state energy assistance programs became available Oct. 1.

The next resource event –the second of four – will be held Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Southfield Pavilion at 26000 Evergreen Road.

Obama in Detroit to support El-Sayed and Benson campaigns

Former President Barack Obama will be in Detroit later this month to campaign with state Democrats on the November ballot.

The Oct. 24 event will include Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor.

President Trump told reporters outside the White House on Monday, Oct. 5 that he plans to return to Michigan in about a week and a half. He previously rallied with Republican candidates before the August primary election.

Michigan health department launches app to assist with quitting tobacco

The state health department has launched an app to help Michiganders quit tobacco in collaboration with National Jewish Health. The QuitLogix app is an extension of the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink online program.

It offers encouraging messages, check-ins and goal reminders. It also lets users order Nicotine Replacement Therapy products.

Residents can call the Quitlink hotline 24/7 for help quitting at 800-784-8669 or 800-Quit-Now or go to Michigan.gov/quitlink. 

BLK GRL Conglomerate fundraises for Detroit People’s Food Co-op

The BLK GRL Conglomerate is hosting a Black Girl Cash Mob this weekend to support the Detroit People’s Food Co-op.

The goal is to get 100 Black women to spend at least $20 at the Black-led community grocery Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. and to have them join as member-owners of the co-op.

The Detroit People’s Food Co-op has launched a membership drive as it faces financial challenges two years after opening. It is located at 8324 Woodward Avenue. 

Editors note: To become a member of Detroit People’s Food Co-op, patrons must pay a one-time $200 fee in lump-sum or spread out over 10 months.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts 

The Detroit People’s Food Co-op is seeking more residents to buy into the neighborhood grocery store.

The co-op is running out of money. They launched a campaign looking for 500 new owners and are asking customers to spend $10 when they come in.

The co-op opened in 2024 to fill a gap. The city had almost no Black owned grocery stores. The goal was for Detroiters to own their food system, not just to shop within it.

However, the people who this store was built for may not be able to afford it. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 34% of Detroiters liven in poverty. The co-op says it is bringing in close to $3 million a year. Before it opened, It projected about $80,000 a week— which is more than $4 million.  

Additional Headlines for Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026

Mayor Mary Sheffield makes effort to ensure a full Count Day

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is partnering with school districts to make sure students are in their seats for Count Day. The city has launched a series of radio, newspaper, and social media ads. 

Fall count day is used to measure the in-school attendance of students—that number dictates how much money the school district receives from the state.  

Sheffield says she wants families, parents and students in the city to understand the importance of showing up for Count Day.  

“We oftentimes talk about schools being underfunded or Detroit kids not getting the quality education that they deserve. One way that we can control that is by making sure our kids are in school, that they’re accounted for, and that we get the funding that is allocated to us for books, for teachers, for facility improvements.”

This year’s Count Day is on Wednesday, Oct. 7.  

First of its kind Jim Crow museum to open at Ferris State University

Ferris State University will now feature more than 30,000 artifacts from the Jim Crow era in its new museum space.  

David Pilgrim founded the museum. He says the new building expands what can be taught about that period in American history.  

“In our old space, we did have room to show how African Americans pushed back against oppression with activism, with achievements and quite frankly, with just living everyday lives of dignity.”

The new building also includes a reading room, seminar space, and recording studio for visitors who want to share their own Jim Crow stories and how it affects them.  

Intergenerational Wisdom Exchange Program (WiSE) bridges generational divide at Wayne State Univeristy

A new 10-week program is pairing older Black adults from Detroit with Wayne State University students to improve social connection and digital literacy. 

Dr. Rodlescia Sneed, WiSE’s program director and an assistant professor in Wayne State’s Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, says social connections are important for health and well-being. Many need technology to maintain a social connection. 

“It was our goal to increase social connection and reduce loneliness among older adults, while also improving their technology skills, so that we could make improvements that impact their health and well-being.”

Sneed says the program focuses on developing one-on-one connections to reduce barriers for older adults to learn digital literacy. 

The first half of the program is focusing on sharing life stories of Detroiters. The second half of the program is learning digital literacy. 

For more information on the program, you can contact Sneed at sneedrod@wayne.edu.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more than a decade, a group of Detroiters worked toward something the city was lacking: there were almost no Black-owned grocery stores. So they set out to build one — owned by the people it serves.

In 2024, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op opened on Woodward in the North End.

Two years later, it is asking for help. The co-op says it is bringing in close to $3 million a year. Before it opened, it projected about $80,000 a week — more than $4 million. 

This month it launched a campaign to recruit 500 new owners and asked shoppers to spend $10 more every time they come in. They named it Mframadan, a symbol from Ghana for a house built to withstand treacherous conditions.

Those conditions are real — food prices keep climbing and many of the people this store was built for are the ones with the least to spare. U.S. Census Bureau data shows 34% of Detroiters live in poverty.

The co-op’s thought was that Detroiters should own their food system, not just shop within it. Two years in, the question is whether that’s something people can afford to own.

Lanay Gilbert-Williams, president of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op and executive director of the Detroit Food Policy Council, joined Robyn Vincent to discuss what supporting a co-op means for a community, some of the store’s higher prices in comparison to chain grocers, and who is actually shopping there.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

More stories from The Metro