2 days ago
Lansing gun violence advocates worried by funding cuts
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — People working to curb gun crime in Lansing are concerned that federal funding cuts are threatening the progress they've made.
Paul Elam, Chief Strategy Officer with Advance Peace, says the organization received notice back in April from the Department of Justice, saying that their grants would be terminated.
During the height of the pandemic, city officials say gun violence in Lansing was at an all-time high. So, leaders teamed up with a non-profit public health initiative called MPHI, a local operator of the Advance Peace Strategy. They work closely with city and county officials to help bring gun crime down.
Elam says that partnership and hard work helped a lot.
'We experienced a 52% reduction in fatal shootings and a 19% in non-fatal shootings,' said Elam.
Now, leaders are worried about the progress they've made.
Elam says he never expected the new administration to cut grants he says were already approved, funded, and supported by Congress.
'Two of our projects were cut. The total was just over a million dollars,' said Elum. 'Cuts would reduce our capacity in half to continue to identify individuals and engage them to advance public safety here in Lansing.'
He says the federal government has funded 50% of their projects, and says they've raised about $10 million.
Elum says their mission is effective, and gun violence advocate John Edmond agrees.
'With the amount of lives that were saved, plus the guns that were taken off of the street,' said Edmond. 'It is a result of the hard work that these gentlemen and women put into this program.'
Emmond lost his daughter, Amaia, back in 2010 after she was shot and killed in a home invasion in downtown Lansing.
'She was seven years old,' said Edmond. 'She was on life support for 24 hours, and then we made a decision to donate her organs, and she saved five people's lives.'
Elam says luckily, the organization has found short-term resources to keep their staff, but the damage is already done.
'History tells us, when you remove this type of resource from the community. It impacts our ability to advance public safety,' said Elam.
Elam says to help support Advance Peace, they're hosting a fundraiser in Lansing, Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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