Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced 389 illegal guns and ammunition were recovered under Operation Safe Neighborhoods on Tuesday. Officials conducted nearly 3,400 check-ins with felony offenders.
Operation Safe Neighborhoods aims to reduce gun violence by taking illegal guns out of communities and out of the possession of people who cannot legally own a gun due to prior criminal history. Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Michigan involve firearms.
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“Protecting public safety is a top priority,” said Gov. Whitmer. “By getting nearly 400 illegal firearms out of the hands of criminals before they can be used in the commission of a crime, we are taking action to keep families and communities safe.”
Twenty percent of roughly 32,000 probationers and 8,500 Michigan parolees have been previously convicted of a gun crime. The Michigan Department of Corrections’ plan is aimed at targeting high-risk individuals who have weapons possession in their criminal history.
Gov. Whitmer proposed MI Safe Communities, a plan to address the root causes of crime by investing in education, job programs and counseling. The $75 million investment plan also tackles the criminal court backlog and expands resources available to law enforcement,.
Since taking office Gov. Whitmer has signed four bipartisan budgets to help communities fund law enforcement and hire more first responders. Her proposals include dedicated resources to train, retain and hire cops, firefighters and EMTs.