As Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other mayors from across the country met today with President Biden to discuss how the Biden-Harris administration is helping to ensure local law enforcement have the resources they need to keep communities safe, every single Michigan Republican in Congress voted against billions of dollars in funding for state and local police departments and first responders included in President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan.
Today, President Biden announced that $10 billion in American Rescue Plan funds have been committed to public safety programs and police – including at least $6.5 billion in state and local funds committed by more than half of states and more than 300 communities across the country. Along with ongoing state and local support from the Justice Department, American Rescue Plan investments made 2021 among the largest single-year commitments of federal resources for state and local law enforcement and public safety on record. Every single Michigan Republican voted against this American Rescue Plan funding for local communities to fund law enforcement.
“When it comes to supporting law enforcement, Michigan Republicans in Congress are all talk no action. Every single one of them voted against funding that has allowed cities to keep officers and first responders employed during the pandemic, expand violence intervention programs, and more,” said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes. “When accountability and proper training are an afterthought for police officers, communities like Patrick Lyoya’s in Grand Rapids suffer. That’s why the funding in the American Rescue Plan passed by Michigan Democrats is so vital to finally creating accountable community policing programs, investing in police training facilities, and providing additional public safety technology to keep both communities and officers safe.”
President Biden is dedicated to keeping Michigan communities safe with:
- Nearly $1 billion to reduce domestic violence with immediate crisis intervention, health supports and safety for victims of domestic violence
- Over $350 million in job training and other assistance to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter society and provide at-risk teens and young adults with meaningful job opportunities in the summer and during the year
- $450 million in public safety technology and equipment – like new police cars, upgraded radio systems, body-worn cameras, and gunshot detection systems
- $600 million to help clear court backlogs and support victims of crime
$1.2 billion Medicaid Mobile Crisis Intervention Services – funding mobile crisis intervention units staffed with mental health professionals and trained peers
