Nearly 200 illegal guns were confiscated through the Operation Safe Neighborhoods program. | steve woods/Unsplash
Nearly 200 illegal guns were confiscated through the Operation Safe Neighborhoods program. | steve woods/Unsplash
State leaders are promoting the success of the Operation Safe Neighborhoods program.
Law enforcement personnel visited 1,448 felony offenders as part of the program, according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D-MI) office. The visits yielded 219 arrests and the confiscation of nearly 200 illegal guns plus ammunition and illegal drugs.
"As governor, my top priority is the safety and security of our families and communities," Whitmer said in the press release. "Today, I am proud to announce that Operation Safe Neighborhoods has taken 194 illegal guns off the street before they could be used in commission of a crime. This is a part of our work to make our streets safer and stop violence in our communities.
"As a former prosecutor, I am proud that we have worked across the aisle to invest over $1 billion in public safety, send local governments more resources than they have received in decades to hire and support law enforcement officers, and doubled secondary road patrols to keep people safe on the road. I will continue working with law enforcement and bipartisan state and local officials to fund public safety, reduce crime, and prevent gun violence."
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II spoke about the issue as well.
"Every Michigander deserves to live in safe communities," Gilchrist said in the press release. "When policymakers do the work to support police-community relationships, we can make real change and prevent crime in the first place. Gov. Whitmer and I will continue to invest in all of the mechanisms available to us to create communities where every person feels safe, knowing that the state of Michigan is invested in their future."
More than 450 state residents died as a result of gun violence in the first half of 2022, according to the press release. Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in the state involves a gun.
"I have partnered with attorneys general across our country to address the proliferation of illegal firearms and get these weapons off our streets," Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the press release. "People who circumvent the legal process for obtaining a firearm pose a serious to our communities. I will continue to enforce the law and hold criminals accountable."
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