Northwest Wayne News

A state initiative to take guns out of the hands of criminals has removed roughly 200 guns from the street and resulted in 219 apprehensions. 

The Operation Safe Neighborhoods program led law enforcement personnel to check-in with 1,448 felony offenders and those check ins led to the confiscation of 194 guns, along with drugs and ammunition, according to a Nov. 16 press release from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.

“I have partnered with attorneys general across our country to address the proliferation of illegal firearms and get these weapons off our streets,” Attorney General, Dana Nessel, said in the release. “People who circumvent the legal process for obtaining a firearm pose a serious threat to our communities. I will continue to enforce the law and hold criminals accountable.”

Whitmer said making communities safer is a priority.

“Today, I am proud to announce that Operation Safe Neighborhoods has taken 194 illegal guns off the street before they could be used in (the) commission of a crime,” Whitmer said. “This is a part of our work to make our streets safer and stop violence in our communities. 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."

The governor said she will work with municipalities, lawmakers, and law enforcement to "prevent gun violence.”

“Every Michigander deserves to live in safe communities,” said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, in the release. “When policymakers do the work to support police-community relationships, we can make real change and prevent crime in the first place. Governor Whitmer and I will continue to invest in all of the mechanisms available to us to create communities where every person feels safe, knowing that the state of Michigan is invested in their future.”