KALAMAZOO, Mich. — 17 people have lost their lives to gun violence already this year in Kalamazoo— a grim milestone for the city. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen told FOX 17 that it's a frustrating time for the department.
"Our homicide numbers are high, but our overall violent crime is down 21% over this time two years ago," Chief Boysen said.
To Chief Boysen's knowledge, this isn't happening in one particular area. It's happening all over the city.
"We've seen a lot of just random homicides that weren’t on our radar. It wasn't like there was an ongoing beef and things going back and forth. It was just a dispute that was settled in gun violence. And unfortunately when that happens, you have these tragic results," he explained.
Chief Boysen says KDPS is doing everything it can— even working with grassroots groups like Urban Alliance and the YWCA. Their street outreach teams focus on interventions, calm disputes and trying to prevent retaliatory shootings.
The goal for the department is zero crime but for now, they're trying to achieve the lowest numbers possible.
"A lot of times we know who these individuals are, and if they're really dangerous to the community, and they don't want to stop, then we'll use our resources to go after making sure we address those individuals and getting them off the street," Boysen said.
Out of the 17 homicides, KPDS has made eight arrests. Chief Boysen says they have several cases pending warrants, while others are in various stages of investigation. He's anticipating more charges in the coming weeks.
"The process takes time because we want to make sure we get it right. You can't just rush and charge someone with a potential life offense and not take your time and do your due diligence to make sure a thorough investigation has been done," he told FOX 17.
Navigating violence in the city is going to be a community-wide effort. The chief says if you know something, contact Silent Observer. He also emphasized the importance of community members with surveillance cameras registering them on connectkalamazoo.org to help keep the community safe.
