Whitmer pitches $32 million to fight crime
(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a proposal to spend $32 million on law enforcement officer training and resources. The governor’s plan is part of the $75 million MI Safe Communities framework introduced last July, which aims to spend federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to reduce crime and expand law enforcement resources.
“We have to work together to fund police and reduce crime because every Michigander in every community deserves to live safely,” Whitmer said in a statement. “As a former prosecutor, keeping families safe is a top priority, and the MI Safe Communities framework will help law enforcement officers do their jobs more effectively. 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 $32 million would flow to communities with the highest increases in violent crime. The money would be split four ways.
Retention and Recruitment ($20 million)
Provide grants up to $10,000 per officer to help local law enforcement departments and correctional facilities retain qualified, experienced personnel. This section would provide grants up to $10,000 to recruit or retain future officers enrolled in police academy training programs or new officers who have completed at least two years at a department. No department would be eligible for more than 10% of the total funds for a single department receiving funding.
Professional Development and Training ($4.5 million)
This would fund professional development and enhanced training for current law enforcement and correctional officers and forgive the educational debt of recent hires with a matching grant of $5,000, totaling up to $10,000 per eligible officer. No department would be eligible for more than 10% of the total funds for a single department receiving funding.
Mental Health ($4.5 million)
This money would create a grant program offering behavioral health services for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, dispatchers, and local corrections officers. No department would be eligible for more than 10% of the total funds for a single department receiving funding.
Solving Violent Crime ($3 million)
This money would provides grants to local law enforcement departments to hire homicide detectives or other staff to investigate and solve violent crime. This investment intends to drive down homicide clearance rates in Michigan cities, which are currently some of the worst nationwide. No department would be eligible for more than 10% of the total funds for a single department receiving funding.
Many of the provisions mirror a House GOP plan announced in May in response to a concurrent labor shortage and fewer people pursuing policing jobs after the death of George Floyd in May 2020 in police custody.
Members of the law enforcement community welcomed the proposal.
“The member agencies of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police are truly appreciative of the concrete actions the Governor is taking to address the critical issues that our law enforcement officers and departments are currently facing,” Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Robert Stevenson said in a statement.
Michigan’s law enforcement numbers appear to fare better when compared to Minnesota’s Twin Cities. In Minneapolis where Floyd died, the department has lost nearly 300 officers since 2020 and is now seeking a $27 million funding boost to fight unprecedented violent crime.
“Any money spent on making the public safer is money well-spent,” Executive Director of the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Matt Saxton said in a statement. “And we look forward to learning more about these grants for law enforcement services, recruitment, and retention.”
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