U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) today announced $7,945,884 in federal funding for the state of Michigan to help combat gun violence and enhance behavioral health and crisis care programs. The funding, through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act the senators helped enact into law last year, will be made available through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program.
“Gun violence has shattered families and communities in Michigan, including the recent shooting at Michigan State University,” said Senator Peters. “While there’s so much more work to be done to address the gun violence epidemic and help Michiganders heal from these tragedies, this federal funding will allow the Michigan State Police to support gun violence prevention and crisis intervention efforts.”
“This funding couldn’t be more timely. While we have a lot of work ahead of us to address gun violence in Michigan and across our country, this investment will provide critical resources to address the epidemic of violence that has become all too real for so many families this past week,” said Senator Stabenow.
“Every Michigander deserves to feel safe while going to the grocery store, dropping their kids off to school, or taking a walk around the block,” said Governor Whitmer. “As a former prosecutor, I am proud that we have worked across the aisle to invest over $1 billion in public safety, send local governments more resources than they have received in decades to hire and support law enforcement officers, and doubled secondary road patrols to keep people safe on the road. Thanks to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Senator Stabenow and Senator Peters are delivering additional unprecedented federal resources that will help us keep Michiganders safe. Let’s work together to protect public safety and reduce crime and gun violence.”
“The Michigan State Police is grateful for the State Crisis Intervention Program award that will allow us to partner with other state departments and community partners to reduce gun violence in Michigan,” said Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police. “We plan to use community-based youth and parent education programming, additional behavioral threat assessment and management training for physical and behavioral healthcare providers, innovative prosecutorial programs, and highly specialized firearm forensic technologies, along with the guidance of the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, with the hopes of preventing gun violence here in our state.”
The grants, which will be administered by the Michigan State Police, will be awarded to organizations to fund gun violence reduction education and outreach; threat assessment training through the judicial system and health care providers; and forensic investigative technology to help law enforcement solve crimes more quickly.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law last year, is the most significant federal gun safety legislation signed into law in almost three decades. The law makes critical investments in children and family mental health services, funding for school safety resources, support for state crisis intervention programs and enhanced background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21. It also supports red flag laws at the state level, increases protections for victims of domestic violence, and funds school-based mental health services and school safety resources.
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