Michigan City Receives $1.25M To Fight Gun Violence

Gun violence has become a huge issue all over the United States and is one of the most controversial and heated debates that the people of our country are having. Some people would like all guns to be banned, some only want to see certain firearms banned, while others feel like their rights are being infringed on if any guns are banned.

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It's a sticky situation for us to be in as the right to bear firearms is written within our country's constitution but the alarming rate of gun violence calls for something to be done. Nonetheless, there are laws surrounding guns and how they should be purchased, handled, sold, and everything else so there are restrictions in place.

Speaking of gun laws and restrictions, Michigan is one of the states that has strict yet lenient gun laws, so I feel that most people within the state are pleased with the gun laws here. Although are laws seem to be okay, enforcing them is much harder as there is too much access on the streets and online. This has created an issue for law enforcement and has called for action.

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety has been holding seminars, events, and initiatives for quite some time now as they are trying to reduce the gun violence within the city limits. So far, this has not worked as the number of shooting incidents continues to stay par or rise, which is the opposite of the desired outcome.

The KDPS is going to be trying to attack this problem from another angle as they were given a grant towards their efforts. Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) gave the City of Kalamazoo the grant at their meeting on December 2nd, 2024 for $1.25 million.

They are taking the money while having the city's Blueprint for Peace as a guideline and will look to build off that to not only reduce the gun violence but prevent it as well. $362,012 from the grant will be used for community engagement like gun education, amnesty programs, and more.

The remaining $887,988 will be awarded to community partners according to the city's plans but I would assume that those partners will be receiving that money for their help in the efforts toward reducing and preventing the problem that is gun violence. The program money will be used in places like the following:

• Gryphon Place: free restorative justice, suicide prevention and intervention trainings
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College: A certificate program where violence intervention professionals and community members will train volunteers
• Michigan Transformation Collective: the money will help establish a hospital-based intervention program with Bronson

This could be a good thing for our community as they try to make it safer, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on.