Whitmer announces Operation Safe Neighborhoods reaches new milestone with more than 450 illegal guns off the street

On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that more than 450 illegal guns have been taken off the streets as part of Operation Safe Neighborhoods. Since the operation began, law enforcement officials have conducted 4,145 check-ins with felony offenders, leading to 450 illegal guns taken off the street. During sweeps, officers have also recovered illegal drugs and ammunition.

“As a former prosecutor, protecting public safety is a top priority,” said Whitmer. “With Operation Safe Neighborhoods, we have taken 450 illegal guns before they could be used in the commission of a crime. The budget I recently signed includes the largest investment we have made in public safety since taking office—totaling $1.5 billion since I took office. Earlier this year, I signed three commonsense gun violence prevention laws establishing universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and extreme risk protection orders. We will keep working together to reduce gun violence and save lives.”

Operation Safe Neighborhoods is a statewide crack down on crime aimed at reducing gun violence by getting illegal guns off the street and out of the hands of people who cannot legally be in possession of a gun due to prior criminal history.

Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Michigan involve a firearm. This initiative builds on Whitmer’s MI Safe Communities program that she launched in 2021 to invest in local police, get illegal guns off the street, and fund expanded opportunities in jobs, education, and the justice system.