GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Police Department is taking action in response to a recent spike in gun violence.
The GRPD tells FOX 17 that they have confiscated 47 guns and arrested two dozen people for serious misdeeds in the past month.
“What we are seeing in our neighborhoods, on our streets, and especially with our young people is completely unacceptable,” says Chief Eric Payne. “The Grand Rapids Police Department has worked hard to develop a plan that will address these concerns while treating everyone with fairness and respect. We can all do better – we must do better.”
GRPD held a news conference Thursday morning on violent crime and illegal firearms.
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“We have to work on this continuously,” says Payne. “We have seen a cycle of violence this summer that is unacceptable.”
When asked about the nature of the confiscated firearms, the chief replied that all guns seized were illegal in some form and that many of them were stolen. On that note, he advised all gun owners to secure their firearms to prevent theft.
