State Rep. Brian BeGole, who chairs the House Government Operations Committee, today spearheaded the unanimous advancement of bills establishing a new fund that will ramp up public safety in Michigan.

House Bills 4260-61 create the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund. The fund will provide needed resources to embattled communities so local police departments will be better staffed, equipped and prepared to keep people safe.

“Four of the 20 most violent cities in the nation are in Michigan. Nine of the 100 most violent cities in the nation are in Michigan,” BeGole said when addressing the legislation and committee vote. “That’s almost 10 percent of the 100 most violent cities in the country in one state. As someone with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement and having served as a county sheriff, I find that to be appalling and unacceptable.

“The vote we took today and advancing these bills to the House shows that we’re serious about the need to improve public safety in Michigan.”

Money for the new fund will come from using about 1% of total sales tax revenue – dedicating $115 million annually statewide to increased public safety. The city of Owosso within BeGole’s House District would receive $176,000, among other local investments.

Police departments are struggling to hire and retain officers in Michigan. The number of law enforcement officers statewide is down almost 20 percent over the last 20 years. A University of Michigan study last year found that 72% of local governments say their police department is experiencing difficulties recruiting new officers — more than triple the amount of communities that reported issues recruiting officers in 2015. The U-M study also reported that 48% of local governments are struggling to retain officers on their force.

“Less officers and less resources mean stopping violent crime and bringing criminals to justice is more difficult,” BeGole said. “This is a commitment to public safety and will give people peace of mind that their homes and families are safe in the places they live.”

BeGole also highlighted needed guardrails on the funding that is dispersed to cities, villages and townships. Under the plans, local governments cannot use dollars from the trust fund to replace existing police funding and redirect funds to unrelated programs or pet projects. This money would be strictly used for establishing a robust public safety presence and keeping communities safer.

The fund also evaluates performance going forward. Beginning in the 2027 fiscal year, a community’s share of funding would be 5% less if its violent crime rate has not decreased from its base level by 5%. Beginning in the 2029 fiscal year, that threshold will rise to 10%. These benchmarks will ensure accountability, transparency and results as existing tax dollars are being used.

House Bills 4260-61 now move to the House for consideration.

PHOTO INFORMATION: State Rep. Brian BeGole, who chairs the House Government Operations Committee, speaks on House Bills 4260-61 on Thursday, April 17. The bills, which create the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund and provide local law enforcement throughout Michigan with additional resources to keep communities safe, were advanced unanimously from BeGole’s committee.