LANSING, Mich. (WXMI) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released an update Monday on Operation: Safe Neighborhoods, a statewide initiative to curb gun violence by removing illegal firearms from the streets.
Since launch, the program has resulted in the seizure of 186 guns and 202 arrests out of 1,444 check-ins with felons, according to the Michigan governor’s office.
We’re told illegal drugs and ammo were also confiscated as a result of the initiative.
“As a mom and former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me. Every Michigander in every community deserves to feel safe as they go to work, school, or walk in their neighborhoods,” Whitmer said. “Together, we have invested over $1 billion in public safety, sent local governments more resources than they have received in decades to hire and support law enforcement officers, and doubled secondary road patrols. Let’s keep working with law enforcement and bipartisan state and local officials to make record investments in public safety, reduce crime, and prevent gun violence in Michigan.”
The state says more than 450 residents have died from gun violence during the first half of 2022.
Operation: Safe Neighborhoods pairs the Michigan Department of Corrections with local law enforcement to perform compliance checks on individuals who are on probation or parole to ensure they are not in illegal possession of firearms, state officials say.
