GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After three people were shot and killed in a Burton Heights Neighborhood last week, Grand Rapids police said a "fire was lit under them" to address what could be driving violence in the area.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom says detectives continue to be on track and highly motivated, leading them to also find that businesses raided last week have been incentivizing young people to commit crimes.
On Nov. 9, blocks from where the shootings happened, police served search warrants on Flavors Smoke Shop on South Division Avenue and at another location on the city's west side off of Leonard.
Officers found over 30 pounds of marijuana being sold illegally, but also made another discovery when searching the businesses.
"What they also found was that they were selling a lot of other items, which they weren't permitted to sell, and which appear to be the same type of items that were being stolen from area stores in smash and grab burglaries, which were being committed by young people here in Grand Rapids oftentimes in stolen vehicles," Winstrom said.
According to Winstrom, a communication network spread by word of mouth allowed these shops to pay kids for committing crimes, providing a financial incentive for children to steal, and then in turn make a profit for themselves.
"I anticipate charges forthcoming related to all of that," Winstrom said.
He also said a group of about 50 young people have been committing most of the recent vehicle thefts and smash-and-grabs, saying it's possible the increase in motor vehicle thefts could have started a domino effect.
"Once they had the means to easily conduct these crimes, that it was sort of a natural consequence of that," Winstrom said. "Once the incentive was there from these illegitimate businesses which were encouraging youngsters to commit these crimes, it was kind of a perfect storm of bad behavior that compounded itself."
Now police are looking for the adults and the youths to see consequences.
"We're going to hold the adults accountable to make sure we take away that sort of predatory incentive for kids to commit crimes, but we're also going to hold the kids accountable when we do encounter them in a stolen vehicle, when we do encounter them committing a crime," Winstrom said.
While Winstrom said amidst these investigations violent crime numbers are improving in the city, finding justice is still the focus for those affected by this year's murders.
"Statistically crime is not on the rise," Winstrom said. "that means very little to the 21 individuals that were murdered, their loved ones and the people that are still grieving for them."
Those interested can find the GRPD Police Metric Dashboard here.
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