The city of Flint consistently makes the list as one of the country's most violent.
Genessee County Sheriff Robert Pickell says he has a plan to cut down on crime in Flint, but it would cost $3 million. That's $3 million Pickell would like from the state.
Ron Fonger of the Flint Journal reports Gov. Snyder has rejected Pickell's plan:
Thirty days after receiving Pickell's proposal to create a violent crime mobile response unit, Gov. Rick Snyder's office says in a statement, "the best course of action is to integrate the resources at the sheriff’s department into the current plan for a safer Flint." Although not addressing specifics in the 19-page proposal, the governor's office statement says, "We continue to encourage the sheriff to meet with our local (Michigan State Police) command to map out a plan that includes the sheriff department’s resources so that they can be integrated into the ongoing efforts to make Flint safer."
Fonger reports this is the second time the sheriff has floated this idea. The idea has been rejected by Flint Police Chief Alvern Lock as well.
You can read the plan here.
In the plan, Pickell says Genesee County has experienced a rise in "gang/drug related deaths, violent shootings, bank robberies, and trafficking of guns and drugs."
From the report:
These crimes have been linked to major gang activity in, and around, Genesee County. Currently, there are more than 25 active gangs in Genesee County. These gangs operate in the City of Flint, but reside throughout Genesee County... The Office of Genesee County Sheriff is proposing to create a metropolitan Violent Crime Mobile Response Unit that would be made up of six street-wise plain clothes Violent Crime Investigators, 12 uniformed investigators and one Crime Analyst....
