GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As the warmer months approach, law enforcement officials like Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said they're preparing for the potential increase in crime.
Right now he said crime, especially violent crime, is down in Grand Rapids.
GRPD is investigating only one homicide currently, which revolves around the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Brand Clark earlier in the month.
“This time last year, I believe we had six murders, just in the city of Grand Rapids. So violent crime is down. But we're talking numbers that are so small, that one bad weekend could turn things around,” said Winstrom.
He said his department is creating a plan to keep crime low.
Part of that plan includes increasing staff, which is set to increase from 263 employees to 284 in the next two weeks.
It also includes where police officers are located.
“We've heard a lot of calls from community members, they want to see more police officers, especially downtown where, very rarely, you would even see a police officer. We've been able to, with our increased staffing, start doing more foot patrols and bicycle patrols,” said Winstrom.
Winstrom also said the continued partnerships between city leaders and organizations have helped lower crime, which were created after the city saw a spike in crime in summer 2022.
“When we introduce our DICE program, and we got all of the city resources to come together, whether it's parks, whether it's fixing streetlights, of extended library hours, whatever we could come up with to impact it to make sure that, especially the children in our city, we're not victims of violent crime,” said Winstrom.
But, it can’t stop at the governmental level. He said officials need residents' help in keep crime down by not hesitating to reach out for help.
“If you do see something that looks suspicious in your neighborhood, we work for you. We're here to respond to those calls. So certainly, don't hesitate to call the police if you think you need us,” said Winstrom.
If you have an emergency, officials said to call 911 immediately.
For non-emergency, you can call the department at (616) 456-3400.
You can call silent observer at (616) 774-2345.
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