GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed a $6.35 million investment to get illegal guns off the street and enhance public safety at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Grand Rapids Thursday morning.
She made the announcement at the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Michigan State Police Grand Rapids facility.
“We have to work together to reduce crime and get illegal guns off the street because every Michigander, no matter where they live or who they are, deserves to live safely,” said Whitmer. “As a former prosecutor, keeping families safe is a top priority. Both the MI Safe Communities framework and the new Michigan State Police Grand Rapids Facility will put Michiganders first by helping law enforcement officers do their jobs more effectively and tackle the court backlog to get illegal guns off our streets. I will work with anyone to bring down crime and help Michiganders feel safe in their community. Together, we can build a safer, more just Michigan where every family can thrive, where every kid can get a great education, and where every person has a path to a good-paying, high-skill job."
The proposal is part of the governor’s proposed $75 million MI Safe Communities plan, which would use funding from the American Rescue Plan to reduce crime and keep people safe by “tackling the court backlog, expanding resources available to law enforcement, and uplifting communities by making investments in jobs, justice, and education.”
When it comes to courts, she spoke about investing additional funds to help prosecutors across the state hire visiting judges to help with the backlog of cases due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Whitmer also meet with union leaders from across Michigan to make an announcement about a new state policy that will raise wages and ensure workers are treated fairly and with dignity.
