With violent crime rising, the Michigan State House has launched a proposed Public Safety Trust Fund.
The plan is to take 1.5% of state sales tax revenues per month and put it in the fund.
Every police agency in the state would be eligible to access it, but crime statistics would determine funding.
“We know our local partners are stretching available dollars to help keep our neighborhoods safe while experiencing an escalation of violence,” said House Speaker Joe Tate/D Detroit.
For a city like Detroit, those funds would, according to police Chief James White, be used on resources like neighborhood police officers and expanding the mental health response unit.
Rep. Alabas Farhat/D Dearborn and Rep. Nate Shannon/D Sterling Heights are the plan’s architects.
“The beauty of the program is it’s going to be based on the numbers that are directly reported to MSP,” said Farhat. “Do to the numbers that get reported out lead to the dollars that are sent out.”
Farhat says he and Shannon already have dozens of co-sponsors. He expects the bill will be on the fast track.
