House committee advances bipartisan public-safety trust fund bills after hours of testimony

Lansing — The Michigan House Committee on Government Operations on Monday advanced a bipartisan package to create a Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund, voting to adopt substitute language and report House Bills 4260 and 4261 out of committee after more than an hour of testimony from law enforcement, county and community groups.

The bills, sponsored by Representative Kristina Harris and Representative Sam Farhat, would deposit $115 million a year from sales-tax revenue into a dedicated fund to support local public-safety investments, community violence intervention (CVI) programs and crime victim services, proponents said.

Supporters told the committee the fund is designed to be predictable and flexible for local leaders. "These bills create a public safety and violence prevention trust fund. A dedicated and an accountable investment in public safety, community violence intervention, and victim support," Representative Kristina Harris said in her opening remarks. Representative Sam Farhat said the package would direct $75 million to cities, villages and townships, devote 2 percent for a statewide CVI grant program, reserve 2 percent for crime victims, and allocate $40 million to county sheriffs based on department size.

Why it matters: Sponsors and witnesses said the funding will sustain programs that they say have reduced shootings and homicides in parts of Michigan and provide ongoing victim services. Chief Todd Bettison of the Detroit Police Department told the committee the city’s Shot Stoppers CVI…