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Whitmer announces $32 million in funding to retain & recruit police officers in Michigan

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Posted at 9:59 AM, Oct 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-20 09:59:40-04

(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a $32 million investment with the goal of helping fund recruit and retain police officers in the state.

The proposal, announced on Wednesday, is part of a $75 million MI Safe Communities framework that utilizes funding from the American Rescue Plan.

According to the state, the $32 million breaks down into four different area.

$20 million will go toward retention and recruitment, which will provide grants up to $10,000 per officer to help departments retain personnel, and grants up to $10,000 to recruit or retain future officers enrolled in police academy programs.

$4.5 million will go to professional development training. $4.5 million will create a grant program offering behavioral health services for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers and more.

Finally, $3 million will go to grants for departments to hire homicide detectives or other people focused on solving violent crime.

“We have to work together to fund police and reduce crime because every Michigander in every community deserves to live safely,” Whitmer said in a release. “As a former prosecutor, keeping families safe is a top priority, and the MI Safe Communities framework will help law enforcement officers do their jobs more effectively. I will work with anyone to bring down crime and help Michiganders feel safe in their community. Together, we can build a safer, more just Michigan where every family can thrive, where every kid can get a great education, and where every person has a path to a good-paying, high-skill job.”