Courtsey Photo-John Dewane Democrat for Ingham County Prosecutor
Lansing was amid a gun violence crisis in 2021-22. In just two years, 36 firearms homicides were reported, a 57% increase over the previous two years.
"Lansing braces for bloodshed amid another summer of gun violence" read the City Pulse headline in 2021, a prediction that was tragically accurate as the city had a record number of homicides that year.
Upon his appointment as Ingham County Prosecutor in late December 2022, John Dewane took immediate action to address gun violence while assuring equal justice for all. He stepped up enforcement of gun laws while targeting repeat and habitual offenders. With the county and city's support for the Advance Peace violence interruption project, Lansing gun homicides have declined significantly. The City Pulse now reports a 47% drop in Lansing's gun violence homicides during John Dewane's administration as Prosecutor.
"It's my goal to make Ingham County a healthier, safer place to live," said John Dewane. "We are working with community groups, police and victim advocates to achieve greater peace in Lansing's neighborhoods and provide alternatives for non-violent and youthful offenders. We don't want people to be caught up in the system, or to be exposed to violence in their communities."
That City Pulse article from 2021 was tragically prophetic; Six homicides occurred in Ingham County from June to August of 2021. This past summer there were zero.
"We still have too many guns on the streets, and too much violence," said Dewane. "But I believe we're making progress, and we hope to see this continue, with the support of the community."
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