GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Police held a press conference Thursday to discuss their newest efforts to reduce violence in the community.
Police Chief Payne saying to the people of the community that they will be out and about, however, they're taking a strategic approach to who they are attempting to make contact with.
“For every shooting and every murder, the witnesses who do not come forward and do not cooperate only seek to reassure criminals that they can act with impunity to induce fear and disorder in our neighborhoods. It’s time to send a message, no more," Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne said.
Payne says in the last 30 days, they've taken 47 illegal guns off the streets. This weekend, they plan to do the same.
"This is a community. This is a neighborhood. The citizens don’t deserve that,” Payne said.
We also learned Thursday that $500,000 of COVID funding at the county level will be allocated towards programming for young people to try to fight the recent increase in violent crime.
