Governor Gretchen Whitmer, center, leads a roundtable discussion in Pontiac to make safety a priority in the city and state.
Photo provided by Office of the Governor
Governor Gretchen Whitmer today led a roundtable discussion in Pontiac with local and state law enforcement officials, community leaders, and elected officials to address public safety and put Michigan’s safety first.
“Every Michigander should feel safe living in their communities, whether they’re going to work, picking up their kids from school, grabbing groceries, or simply taking a walk around the block,” said Governor Whitmer. “ As we work to put Michigan’s safety first. I am eager to work with local leaders and law enforcement professionals in southeast Michigan and across the state to protect public safety.”
Recently, Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bill 27 to boost public safety and allocated $2.7 million in federal funding to the Secondary Road Patrol Program, which provides grants to county sheriff’s departments for the patrol of secondary roads.
Governor Whitmer sent a letter last month to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging support for Michigan State Police’s (MSP) application for federal grant funding through the United States Department of Justice’s Community Policing Development De-Escalation Training Program to put safety first for our troopers and the communities they serve.
Governor Whitmer has supported $1.4 billion in her budget recommendation for local governments which supports police, fire, and public safety, and created incentive programs to help communities hire and retain officers who live where they work. She allocated over $40 million in COVID hazard pay for local officers and first-responders. Governor Whitmer also raised MSP budget and hired more MSP troopers, and provided $10.4 million in premium pay for MSP for exemplary service during COVID-19.
“Public safety is my top priority,” said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. “This is a national issue, and we need Michigan solutions to address it. I am thankful that we have a governor who is tackling it head-on. Governor Whitmer is bringing together state and local partners and advocating for the resources we need to keep Michiganders safe and our communities healthy.”
“This was a good first start,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy. “I look forward to working with the Governor’s team to bring about real and necessary change to support victims, deal with the mental health crises in the criminal justice system, and expanding programs for lower level crimes so the focus can be on the violent crimes that are plaguing our cities. Real justice cannot be achieved unless everyone in the system is properly resourced.”
“We are definitely making progress with the resources provided by Governor Whitmer and her team,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington. “It’s allowed us to increase our road patrols, deploy officers more frequently in our field operations and, most importantly, we’ve been able to enhance our community outreach. These partnerships are having a direct impact as they transcend borders and collectively improve quality of life.”
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