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Kalamazoo public safety officials report 10 arrests, 10 firearms seized after July 4 violence; gun amnesty program ongoing
Summary
At the July 21 Kalamazoo City Commission meeting, Chief Dave Boysen said police identified and arrested 10 people and seized 10 firearms after a spike in shootings around July 4; he also described a gun amnesty program that has yielded more than 10 surrendered guns.
Chief Dave Boysen told the Kalamazoo City Commission on July 21 that police identified and arrested 10 individuals and seized 10 firearms after a series of shootings around the July 4 holiday. He said most of those arrested were youth ages 15 to 19 and that prosecutors obtained high cash bonds and lodged several suspects in juvenile detention.
Boysen said the city’s street outreach team and extra patrols helped reduce youth-involved shootings “virtually to 0” in the weeks after the July 4 incidents, though he reported several adult-involved shootings over a recent weekend.
The chief also described a gun amnesty program run with local churches and pastors, led in part by Pastor Jennings. “If you’re a parent, I’ll just repeat this again. If you’re a parent, and you know your kid is at risk of engaging in, in gun violence and you find a gun in their possession that they shouldn’t have ... we encourage you to turn that gun in,” Boysen said, directing people to KalamazooPublicSafety.org for program details. He said the effort has collected “over 10 guns” so far.
Commissioners praised the combination of enforcement and prevention. Commissioner Cooney thanked officers and outreach teams and said the emphasis must remain on prevention and creating alternatives for young people, including a proposed youth center on the North Side. Commissioner Bridal and Vice Mayor Hess noted local mentorship and summer programs as critical complements to enforcement.
Boysen said the police worked with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office and credited the street outreach team for ongoing engagement with at-risk youth. He acknowledged that enforcement was needed where engagement and mediation had not succeeded.
Commissioners and the chief urged families to use community programs — midnight basketball, Police Athletic League activities, and Parks and Rec offerings — and highlighted the amnesty program as a no-questions option for removing firearms from homes.
Ending: Officials said they will continue combined enforcement and outreach through the summer and encouraged families to contact churches listed on the city’s gun amnesty page to surrender firearms.
