KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Over the past week, officials with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety say they conducted targeted enforcement efforts to address illegal firearm possession, resulting in the seizure of 10 illegal firearms and multiple arrests.
The operations involved members of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), the Crime Reduction Team (CRT), and KDPS’s Operations Division. KDPS says officers focused efforts in high-crime areas and pursued individuals exhibiting signs of unlawfully carrying firearms.
Among the incidents:
July 7 – A 16-year-old male fled officers in the 1400 block of Portage Street. He was taken into custody after a foot chase and charged with carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), resisting police, and other firearm-related offenses.
July 10 – KVET and CRT executed a search warrant in the 1100 block of Mills Street, locating a firearm on a 17-year-old male suspect. A second gun was recovered at a related scene in the 1400 block of N. Burdick Street.
July 11 – A 17-year-old male was found with a stolen firearm during a traffic stop in the 1400 block of Portage Street. He was charged with CCW, possession of a weapon by a juvenile, and possession of a stolen weapon.
July 11 – Later that day, in the 1200 block of N. Park Street, four suspects were contacted. Three fled; all were arrested. Three firearms were recovered, including one located by a KDPS K-9. The male suspects, ages 16, 17, 18, and 19, face a range of charges, including felony firearm, CCW, and resisting arrest.
July 12 – A 19-year-old man was stopped in the 1000 block of Woodward Street with a stolen handgun from Alabama. His charges include felony firearm, CCW, and possession of a stolen weapon.
July 14 – Two males, ages 15 and 17, were arrested in the 2500 block of S. Burdick Street after one fled from investigators. Both were found with stolen firearms previously reported to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office.
Due to their age, the identities of juvenile suspects are not being released.
“These operations are in direct response to the gun violence we’ve seen in our community,” said Capt. Mike Ferguson. “We will continue this focused enforcement throughout the summer, and beyond, if necessary.”
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