Governor Whitmer announces plan to increase public safety
DETROIT, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a plan Monday to bolster public safety. The MI Safe Communities framework is designed to reduce violent crime while increasing public safety across Michigan. The proposal calls for utilizing $75 million from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
“Every Michigander, no matter where they live or who they are, deserves to live safely. As a former prosecutor, I am committed to protecting public safety and reducing crime so we can build strong, vibrant communities together,” said Governor Whitmer. “We must put Michiganders first by investing in law enforcement officers, getting illegal guns off our streets, and pursuing investments in jobs, justice, and education. I will work with anyone to bring down crime and help Michiganders feel safe in their community. Together, we can build a safer, more just Michigan where every family can thrive, where every kid can get a great education, and where every person has a path to a good-paying, high-skill job.
Throughout the past month, Governor Whitmer and her administration met with police officers, community leaders, faith leaders, and families to gather as many perspectives as possible to ensure that these policies would be reflective and inclusive of views from around Michigan.
Governor Whitmer’s public safety proposal includes investing more money into Michigan’s police departments to strengthen training policies and programs and foster collaboration between the Michigan State Police and local departments on specialty services.
The second aspect of Governor Whitmer’s proposal focuses on getting illegal guns off the streets. Governor Whitmer also proposes increasing the number of visiting judges to tackle the backlog which has piled up during the pandemic, to ensure folks get the due process faster and ensure justice in their community.
Governor Whitmer’s proposal includes holistic investments to expand opportunity through our education, jobs, and justice system. Through a partnership with the Biden Administration, Detroit is one of fifteen jurisdictions nationally boosting investment in Collaborative Community Violence Intervention Programs, which help prevent retaliatory violence. Investment in hospital-based violence intervention programs helps to provide counseling, peer support, mediation, and social services to hospital patients recovering from violent injuries and prevent further violence and injuries.
