KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo City Commission has voted to approve the use of $100,000 to help support gun violence reduction efforts.
During a virtual meeting Monday night, Commissioners discussed the matter at length. However, before discussions started, Vice Mayor Patrese Griffin read a list of names of Kalamazoo residents that have died due to gun violence this year.
The agenda for this meeting contained a map of shootings in the city this year, which can be viewed here. The map is current as of November 30, 2020.
“Gun violence, unfortunately, is not new, but it has impacted this community in ways that, for many of us who have lived here our lives, even folks that have visited, we’ve never seen anything like this before,” Griffin said. “It was very important that we tackle this issue and not just be reactionary, but really dig deep into what we can do as a commission and a community to start off.”
While Griffin says there is more work to be done, this funding, which is already available to the city in its budget, would be a good start.
“What you have in front of you is an initial step in the direction of addressing some of the challenges and contributing factors and effects of gun violence,” Griffin said.
Griffin also stressed the timeliness of approving such funding, pointing to a recent shooting outside of her own home as an example.
“We are behind on this, it’s December, but people have been losing their lives all year,” Griffin said. “Last Monday at 5:30, I was ducking through shots in front of my house. There were shell casings picked up right in front of my house. That urgency is there every day.”
Commissioner Erin Knott noted that there have been some recent shootings in front of her house, as well.
Earlier this year, Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson stated that there is a gun violence crisis in Kalamazoo, releasing the following statement at that time:
“We have a gun violence crisis in Kalamazoo. And, although cities across Michigan and the nation are having similar experiences, we cannot accept this in our community. Every resident has a right to expect that, no matter what neighborhood they call home, it will be a safe place for them and their families. We must contemplate what daily path to tread so that the idea of serious violence in our shared community is an inconceivable notion. Our response will require us all to determine how we can be a part of the solution. What affects one of us, affects all of us.”
Anderson reiterated Griffin’s earlier statements during the meeting.
“This is a first step, I believe there will have to obviously be more work to come on this, but this is a way we can get started,” Anderson said. “This is really putting together a set of ideas for getting started, it is by no means an ultimate answer, but it’s a way for us to focus on this. The ripple effects that occur out of [gun violence] are probably immeasurable in terms of how people’s lives are affected.”
According to city documents, although the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) has been actively working to address the increase in gun violence, a systems-change approach is needed that works to address the root of the problem.
In order to do so, Mayor Anderson, Vice Mayor Griffin and Commissioner Jeanne Hess each suggested strategies to City Manager Jim Ritsema for addressing gun violence in the community. Over the past several weeks, City Manager Ritsema held a series of meetings with the commissioners, along with other police and city officials, to discuss gun violence intervention strategies.
Documents state that the intent of those meetings was to develop understanding on how to collectively approach community gun violence, as well as to finalize a plan to advance a collective gun violence reduction strategy.
The proposal is a multi-pronged approach, and is listed as follows:
- Community mobilization & cohesion: engaging community leaders actively working to reduce violence; develop and grow block clubs
- Community healing: mental health services for survivors/victims of gun violence
- Housing rehabilitation: support for repairing homes involved in gun violence
- Increased security systems, such as Ring Security Cameras
Under the Community mobilization and cohesion section, $25,000 would be used to fund the Block Club project, which would be manned by Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo (SPK). According to documents, SPK has noted an increase in gun violence in the city’s Northside, Eastside and Edison neighborhoods, which the organization believes is partially due to poverty.
The primary goals for this project are listed as follows:
- Improve communications between city organizations and neighborhood residents.
- Develop helpful connections to people, information, and opportunities within and between neighborhoods (social capital).
- Foster environments of increased community health and well-being, safety, and leadership capacity.
Another $25,000 would be used for the Community Healing category. City documents state that these funds are proposed to support community efforts in improving access to culturally competent mental health professionals for community members impacted by gun violence.
An additional $25,000 would be used for housing rehabilitation, which would assist homes that have been damaged by gunfire. Those funds are proposed to support the development and implementation of a pilot for income eligible residents to receive assistance for home repair after a shooting has occurred.
“Homes have been riddled with bullet holes all throughout this year,” Griffin said.
In addition to trauma from the incident, the documents state that homeowners are often left to pay for their own repairs in regards to gunfire damage.
The remaining $25,000 has been proposed for increased security systems, such as security cameras by Ring. The City has been researching security camera initiatives in which municipalities partner with a company to improve access to cameras through discounted, bulk pricing and a streamlined purchase process, according to documents.
In regards to that component, the funding would be used to purchase security systems for residents. Initially security system distribution would be focused within the block club initiative to those who wish to participate, but it could be expanded to larger areas that have experienced the most gun activity.
That program is currently under development, according to the city.
Ultimately, the proposal passed the vote unanimously. However, it was emphasized that the conversation is not over yet, and work will continue beyond this funding.
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