GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Police Department has announced the success of yesterday’s launch of Operation: Safe Neighborhoods.
GRPD says the program, with assistance from the Michigan State Police Aviation Unit, resulted in 19 arrests, 11 citations, 4 recovered firearms and 2 recovered stolen vehicles.
We’re told large amounts of various narcotics were also confiscated.
“I am devoted to the mission of making Grand Rapids the safest midsized city in the U.S.,” says Chief Eric Payne. “We conducted door to door engagement during the week leading up to this operation, and the residents made it clear that they were glad we were there.”
The police department says the crime rate in the city increased drastically in 2020 and that they hope to prevent that rate from becoming a citywide trend.
“By engaging with the community ahead of time, deploying a diverse team of resources, and using data driven tactics,” Chief Payne adds, “we made a significant impact on violent crime in the city while partnering with our stakeholders.”
READ MORE: GRPD now assigns officers to specific neighborhoods
