Great Lakes Wire

State leaders continue to tout the Operation Safe Neighborhoods program as an ongoing success.

Approximately 2,020 check-ins have been performed by law enforcement departments with felony offenders that have led to the confiscation of 254 illegal guns, along with ammunition and illegal drugs; a recent press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office said.

“We are committed to investing in public safety and safe communities for every Michigander,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said in the release. “I am encouraged to see the progress happening around the state as we partner with local law enforcement to prevent gun violence and crime by getting guns off our streets. Governor Whitmer and I will continue working with every tool available to us to create communities where every person feels safe, knowing that the state of Michigan is invested in their future.”

The objective of the Operation Safe Neighborhoods program is to mitigate gun violence by removing illegal guns from people who cannot legally be in ownership of a gun because of their criminal record.

“Every Michigander deserves to be safe in their neighborhood,” Whitmer said in the release. “Today, I am proud to announce that Operation Safe Neighborhoods has taken 254 illegal guns off the street before it could be used to commit a future crime. Over the last four years, we have invested over $1 billion in public safety, and we will continue to make record investments, so Michiganders are safe at home, work or school, or running an errand.”

During the first half of 2022, more than 450 citizens in the state have died as a result of gun violence. When violent crimes are reported in the state, approximately one in three involve a firearm.