GRAND RAPIDS, Mich-The Grand Rapids Police Department has started a new initiative to solve homicides from 2012.
In 2012, between January and November, the GRPD responded to 11 homicides. Then during the month of December, they had another seven, bringing the total to 18 homicides for the year.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk said solving these homicides are his number one priority. His officers are reaching out to community neighborhood associations to keep a watchful eye and report any information that could help them solve these cases.
The department’s major case team has also handed over their routine cases to the general case team, so they can spend more time trying to solve these homicide cases.
Chief Belk also said his department will work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Arms. They have an officer assigned with that task force, to work with them to analyze gun tracings and violence.
“We are very pleased with the amount of cooperation,” Belk said. “We’ve also increased the patrol efforts. We’ve assigned our special response team to this area to increase the police presence. We’ve also increased the overtime assignments, so we have addition resources applied there as well.”
The prosecutor’s office is also helping out with the initiative. They have assigned a senior attorney to help out with their investigations, by helping them with subpoenas for witnesses that are reluctant to talk.
