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From the Blotter

Attorney General announces public safety legislative initiative

By Lauren Gibbons

Created:
02/15/12 11:53pm

Last updated:
02/15/12 11:53pm

An initiative rolled out by Attorney General Bill Schuette last month could put more police in Michigan’s streets.

On Jan. 25, Schuette announced a public safety legislative initiative to disperse 1,000 new police officers throughout the state during a two-year time span.

In a conference call, Schuette said the paychecks of the new officers could be funded by about $140 million of the state’s budget surplus throughout the course of two years.

Schuette also called for a change to state policy for those convicted of four or more felony crimes, proposing a minimum 25-year sentence for such criminals.

The move was in part spurred by the fact that several Michigan cities have been pegged as some of the most dangerous in the U.S., including Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw, Schuette said.

However, the plan would focus on the entirety of Michigan — not just those cities prone to violent crime, he said.

Although the plan still is in its preliminary stages, the plan could help local municipalities such as East Lansing.

East Lansing police Capt. Bill Mitchell said he hopes the city’s public safety department will benefit if Schuette’s proposal comes to fruition.

Because of budget cuts, Mitchell said the city has had to stretch dollars and consolidate positions to make ends meet.

Additional police officers, even if it were only one or two, would go a long way to bolstering public safety in the area, he said.

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About From the Blotter

Cops and courts reporter Lauren Gibbons discusses crime trends at college campuses throughout the country and provides extra police briefs from the local area you won’t find in the paper.

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