by Scott McClallen
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive instructing state departments to use federal resources from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in an effort to reduce crime and gun violence.
The directive follows a roundtable discussion with law enforcement, parents, students, and faith leaders on how to stop violence and hold criminals accountable for committing violent crimes.
“As a former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me,” Whitmer said in a statement. “But today, far too many families in Michigan do not feel safe in their neighborhoods because of crime and gun violence. That is unacceptable – we must stop the violence and hold people accountable. We need to tackle both crime and gun violence simultaneously because they are inextricably linked – nearly 1 in 3 reported violent crimes involve a firearm and in the first six months of this year alone, over 450 Michiganders have died because of gun violence. That’s why I worked to give law enforcement the resources they need in my bipartisan budget.”
Within 30 days, all agencies must identify a designee to coordinate across state government.
The Michigan State Police must explore ways to improve the process for reporting criminal, mental health, and juvenile records to national criminal databases. MSP are required to establish the Community Violence Intervention Office, which will coordinate state and federal grants related to CVI programming.
The Department of Justice explains that CVI aims to collaborate with communities, law enforcement, and victims to reduce gun violence.
More than 14 cities are or plan to use federal funds for CVI, including Atlanta, St. Louis, Austin, and Washington.
The Vera Institute of Justice supports the strategy and says that it has reduced shootings in multiple cities. One report from the Gifford Law Center says that from 2010 to 2015, some cities that used CVI programs witnessed a 7-35% reduction in gun violence.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Gretchen Whitmer.
