Kalamazoo Times

State leaders hope a new initiative will help reduce gun violence across Michigan.

The program is called Operation Safe Neighborhoods, according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D-MI) office. Its objective is to remove illegal guns from people who cannot possess a firearm due to their criminal history. Nearly 40 arrests were made and 25 illegal guns plus ammunition and drugs were recovered during the first week the program was in effect.

"Our mission as a department is creating a safer Michigan, and our field agents play a crucial role in that effort," Heidi Washington, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), said in the press release. "By partnering with local law enforcement on these targeted actions, we are helping to take guns and drugs off our streets, which means less crime and fewer victims."

Officials hope the measure will contribute to Whitmer's MI Safe Communities program that was established in the summer of 2021, the press release noted. The program is aimed at investing in "expanded opportunities in jobs, education, and the justice system."

"Every person in Michigan, no matter where they live or who they are, deserves to live freely and safely in a way that enables them to be their best selves," Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II said in the press release. "When we take real action to support police-community relationships, we can put in place policies that prevent crime in the first place. I am encouraged to see this progress. We look forward to continuing to invest in all of the mechanisms available to us to create communities where every person feels safe, with their needs met, knowing that the state of Michigan is invested in their future."

More than 450 Michigan residents died as a result of gun violence during the first half of 2022, according to the press release. Approximately one in three violent crimes reported in the state involve a firearm.

"As a former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me," Whitmer said in the press release. "Michiganders deserve to feel safe as they go to work, drop their kids off at school, or run errands in their neighborhoods. While the annual crime report showed that, thanks to our work, crime is flat in Michigan, there is more work to do. That's why we launched this program to tackle crime and gun violence — two inextricably linked issues — simultaneously. We are working with law enforcement and state and local officials to prevent gun violence in Michigan in the wake of recent shootings."

Whitmer said she earmarked portions of the budget for local governments to add additional law enforcement personnel in an effort to reduce crime and get illegal guns off the street.