Flint, Michigan is reporting a downward trend in crime rates, attributable in part to efforts by the city to remove guns from circulation. Approximately 3,000 guns, seized during police investigations or surrendered through gun bounty programs, are ready to be destroyed as part of this initiative.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley recently provided the public with a glimpse into the storage room holding these weapons. Mayor Neeley credits the Flint Police Department’s vigorous efforts to remove guns from the streets, as well as other law enforcement strategies, as contributing factors to a 40% decrease in homicides since 2021 and a 17% decrease in overall crime this year.

After storing the weapons for several months while the Michigan State Police (MSP) sought a new method for gun destruction, the city is preparing to resume its collaboration with MSP. The aim is to have these weapons destroyed as part of Mayor Neeley’s Safe and Clean Summer Initiative.

Under state law, municipalities have limited options for disposing of confiscated and surrendered firearms: They can either sell the weapons through federally licensed dealers or turn the firearms over to the Michigan State Police for destruction. Mayor Neeley halted the practice of selling these weapons in 2020.

In response to a spike in Flint’s homicide rate in 2021, Mayor Neeley declared a gun violence emergency and initiated a series of public safety measures. Through grant funding, the Flint Police Department has established a cold case unit, a witness protection program, offered overtime pay for officers, and facilitated round-the-clock operation of its intelligence center.

These strategies are part of a broader vision for a safe and prosperous community that Mayor Neeley envisions for Flint.