17-04-2025
Lawmakers, advocates, police call for state violence prevention fund
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – According to the FBI, Michigan is home to four of the 20 most violent cities in the nation, with nine cities in the top 100 list. Thursday, state representatives came together to present a bipartisan plan they believe will bring violent crime rates down.
Lawmakers were joined by advocates and law enforcement officials to discuss plans for a Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund, where a portion of state sales tax revenue would be reallocated towards public safety in Michigan communities.
Mich. Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) is at the forefront of the plan and says it is the perfect way to put aside partisan differences and accomplish 'big things' for the state.
Farhat says the main goal of the trust fund is to make Michiganders feel safe in their neighborhoods again. The funding package, according to Farhat, would ensure law enforcement and community violence intervention groups have the resources and equipment needed to curb crime and bring down high recidivism rates.
It's important to note that there will be conditions for receiving this money.
'It's about trusting our local leaders who are closest to the pain, who are closest to the issues, closest to the violent crime to get results,' said Farhat. 'If they don't, this isn't a blank check, we're gonna take money away from cities that fail to meet our standards and give it to cities that are bringing down crime. We're gonna continue investing in cities that are bringing down that trend because that's what we want to see.'
The representative went on to say that if communities expect the best policing services, they should expect to pay for them.
'These bills are about neighborhoods struggling with violence,' said State Rep. Mike Harris (R-Clarkston). 'They're about police departments that are struggling with thin numbers of staffing. They're about doing something real and right now, and these are things that will make a real difference to our communities.'
With nineteen drafts of the plan so far, supporters say they hope it has lasting effects on the state and becomes a national model for other states to follow.
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