Andrew Birge, Violent Crime Reduction, Michigan 2023

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Gun violence plagues communities in Western Michigan, but the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan is taking a two-pronged approach to reduce violent crime.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge explained that his office employs an evidence-based approach, focusing on prosecuting the most dangerous offenders where there is federal jurisdiction while funding and encouraging law enforcement partnerships with community stakeholders.

Through grant funding, the U.S. Attorney's Office supports violence prevention programs,Birge said. Through focused federal prosecutions, his office looks to hold the trigger-pullers and most dangerous offenders accountable to federal law.

In 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Michigan oversaw the granting of almost $200,000 in funds to support community organizations and law enforcement partners in efforts to reduce violent crime throughout Western Michigan.

The funds came through DOJ's Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which was first launched in 2001. DOJ funds support both community organizations and local law enforcement in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Muskegon/Muskegon Heights.

This past year, more than ten community organizations and six local police departments received a total of $192,000 in PSN grant funds to support community-based violence prevention programs.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2020_1208_PSN