Gov. Whitmer Applauds Federal Grants Awarded to Michigan Police Departments to Protect Public Safety, Hire More Local Cops

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 19, 2021

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Gov. Whitmer Applauds Federal Grants Awarded to Michigan Police Departments to Protect Public Safety, Hire More Local Cops

Federal grants will help local police departments in Battle Creek, Hamtramck, West Branch, and Wyoming hire more officers, protect public safety, further community policing goals

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Whitmer applauded federal funding for four local police departments across Michigan, who were awarded over $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to hire more law enforcement officers to enhance public safety through tested, proven community-oriented policing services.

"As a former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me,"said Governor Whitmer. "Thanks to thesefederal grants, four communities in Michigan will be able to hire morelocallaw enforcement officers to save lives, reduce crime, and ensure families are safethrough community-oriented policing programs.At the state level, we will continueputting Michiganders first andinvesting in public safety.I look forward to building onthe$75 millionMI Safe Communities frameworkI proposed earlier this year which would use federal dollarstofund law enforcement, tackle our court backlog, and backcritical jobs and justice initiatives. I will work with anyone to reducecrime and ensure all Michiganders live in safe, secure communities. 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."

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office awards grants each year through its COPS Hiring Grant Program. This is a program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. This year, local police departments in Battle Creek, Hamtramck, West Branch, and Wyoming, MI were awardeda total of over $1.8 million in CHP grants to hire law enforcement officers to further community policing.

MI Safe Communities

Earlier this year,Governor Whitmerproposedthethree-pillar, $75 million MI Safe Communities framework.The proposed investment was the result of hundreds of conversations the governor and her team had with law enforcement officers, community leaders, faith leaders, and families over several months.

MI Safe Communities would:

• Invest more money into Michigan's police departments to strengthen training policies and programs and foster collaboration between the Michigan State Police and local departments on specialty services.
• Increase the number of visiting judges with funding for prosecution and defense to tackle the backlog of criminal cases that has piled up during the pandemic, to protect the rights of defendants and help the justice system operate more efficiently while maintaining public safety.

• Make comprehensive investments to expand opportunity through Michigan's education, jobs, and justice system including violence intervention programs that deliver social services to hospital patients recovering from violent injuries and prevent further violence and injuries.

Funding Law Enforcement

Since taking office, the governor has signed budget bills delivering $1.4 billion to local governments to help them fund local police, fire departments, and emergency medical services. She has also delivered $40 million in COVID hazard pay for local officers and first-responders and over $10 million premium pay for MSP troopers. These dollars help ensure police are better equipped to fight crime today and have the resources to fight crime tomorrow.

Budget

In September, the governor signed the Fiscal Year 2022 budget bill that delivers on the kitchen-table fundamental issues that uplift communities and enable Michiganders to pursue their potential. The budget puts 167,000 Michiganders on a tuition-free path to higher-education or skills training, expands low or no-cost childcare to 105,000 kids, repairs or replaces 100 bridges while creating 2,500 jobs, and more.

Earlier this year, Governor Whitmer and legislature also worked together to put Michigan students first and passed the largest significant education investment in state history, closing the funding gap between schools in Michigan and including a historic amount of resources for schools to hire more nurses, counselors, and social workers. Early investments in mental and social health help reduce crime in the long run.

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