Governor Whitmer announced that Michigan's violent crime rate has reached its lowest point in seven years. Murders have declined more than 40% since 2021, and robberies have been cut in half since the governor took office, according to the state. Law enforcement removed more than 1,000 illegal guns from streets as part of Operation Safe Neighborhoods.
The state has invested nearly $2 billion in public safety since 2018. Investments include $100 million in Public Safety Revenue Sharing grants to cities and townships over the past two fiscal years, $25.2 million for community violence intervention programs, and $2.5 million for a statewide gun violence prevention task force. Michigan State Police troopers and sergeants have also received a 20% pay raise.
Michigan has enacted several gun safety measures, including universal background checks, safe storage requirements, extreme risk protection orders, and a ban on firearm possession by convicted domestic abusers. Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Michigan involve a firearm, according to state data.
As part of Operation Safe Neighborhoods, law enforcement officials have conducted more than 11,000 check-ins with felony offenders. During the operation, officers have also recovered illegal drugs and ammunition. The initiative builds on Michigan's Safe Communities program, launched in 2021, which supports local police, takes illegal guns off the street, and funds expanded opportunities in jobs, education, and the justice system.