Michigan Marks National First Responders Day: Crime Falls to Seven-Year Low, Violent Crime Down Over 40% Since 2021
Lansing, Michigan — Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist issued a proclamation on October 28 marking National First Responders Day, thanking the state's police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other frontline workers. The announcement also cited the state's recent public safety numbers: Michigan's crime rate has fallen to its lowest level in seven years, and violent crime is down more than 40% since 2021.
According to figures released by the governor's office, more than 1,000 illegal guns have been taken off Michigan streets in recent years and robberies have been cut in half. The state has invested nearly $2 billion in public safety in recent years, including support for local police, fire, and emergency medical services.
Whitmer and Gilchrist used the proclamation to thank first responders, and Michigan State Police Director Colonel James F. Grady II also commented. All three officials said the state will continue investing in public safety and supporting the personnel who work on the front lines of their communities.
"This National First Responders Day, we recognize the brave men and women who show up for Michiganders in some of their most difficult moments," Governor Whitmer said, adding that the state has a responsibility to give responders the resources, training and support they need. Lt. Governor Gilchrist called first responders "the people our neighbors count on in an emergency." State Police Director Col. James F. Grady II said troopers "often meet people on their worst days." The governor’s office listed nearly $2 billion in public-safety investment across eight bipartisan budgets, $69.4 million for community violence intervention, more than $250 million in added ongoing State Police investment, a 20% pay raise for troopers and sergeants that began October 1, 2025, and Operation Safe Neighborhoods, which has taken over 1,000 illegal guns off the street.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Lansing 的密歇根州议会大厦（2024年摄）。Mojnsen 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing (2024). Photo by Mojnsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
