Great Lakes Wire

Dr. Paul Elam, Chief Strategy Officer, was recently featured in an interview on WILX discussing the reported reductions in gun violence in Lansing and Jackson. The report linked the decrease to crime reduction initiatives like MPHI’s Advance Peace Initiative.

Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane noted a 50% drop in fatal shootings in both cities based on new crime data. Specifically, Lansing experienced a 47% decline in fatal shootings and a 4% reduction in non-fatal incidents.

“Gun violence in Lansing was at an unacceptable level two years ago, and so I think the message was being sent to our community that we have to stop this, and how are we going to do that?” Dewane stated.

The efforts of the Advance Peace Lansing initiative have shown promise with decreases observed citywide and particularly in southwest Lansing. The program identifies individuals involved in retaliatory gun violence as Peacemaker Fellows, connecting them with Neighborhood Change Agents who mentor them towards peaceful living.

“We pride ourselves in working with fellows who listen, and now their attitudes are changing, and their beliefs are changing, and our hope is that their behaviors will start changing as well. And that’s what we’re seeing when you look at those numbers,” said Dr. Elam.

Advance Peace remains dedicated to ending gun violence while promoting safety within Lansing and Ingham County communities. The organization has announced plans for expansion into more areas of Lansing and East Lansing to broaden its impact.

“We should allow our communities to create safe spaces where all citizens and residents can enjoy what we have here in Lansing,” Dr. Elam expressed. “And that’s what this work is really about. So that is the big picture.”

For further details:

Lansing and Jackson report a reduction in gun violence (wilx.com)

Advance Peace Lansing/Ingham – Working to end Gun Violence and Heal Communities (advancepeacelansingingham.org)