GRPD is Stepping Up Presence After Shootings & Stabbing

After a violent weekend in Grand Rapids, police will be stepping up their presence in neighborhoods.

On Monday GRPD Chief Eric Payne held a press conference regarding the four shootings and stabbing, which resulted in two people's lives. He called what happened last weekend "unacceptable." Because of this, residents in those areas will see more police patrols in their neighborhood. Chief Payne says,

We’ll concentrate on non-enforcement contacts but also enforcement contacts affected by this violence.

Chief Payne is also asking the public for help in any type of leads they may have to solve these crimes. In a Facebook post from GRPD they say "cooperation from victims and witnesses has been minimal."

On Friday, the 20th, a person was stabbed at Rosa Parks Circle. The following morning, within an hour of each other, two different people were shot and killed. One occurred in the city's southwest side and the other on the SE side. Later that night, two different shooting incidents left two people dead, reports WOOD-TV.

Last weekend's events make the homicide rate in Grand Rapids at 13 for the year -- four more than 2018.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the GRPD at 616.456-3400 or Silent Observer at 616.774-2345.