Hall, Duggan Team Up On Public Safety, Violence Prevention Fund

(DETROIT) – House Speaker Matt HALL (R-Richland Township) and Detroit Mayor Mike DUGGAN Monday promoted this year's iteration of the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Fund, a proposal directing 1.5 percent of Michigan's sales tax revenue to law enforcement agencies. 

"I've dealt with Lansing for a lot of years, and for many years, you would rarely see a Republican leader in the city of Detroit," Duggan said. "Speaker Hall – he's been down here regularly, and this is what we need." 

A roundtable on HB 4260 and HB 4261 was hosted Monday afternoon at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters on Third Street. 

Participants included law enforcement officials like Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed HAIDAR, Auburn Hills Police Chief Ryan GAGNON, Oakland County Sheriff Michael BOUCHARD, Wayne County Sheriff Raphael WASHINGTON and Detroit Police Chief Todd BETTISON. 

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan meeting with House Speaker Matt Hall and public safety officials.

Other lawmakers in attendance were Reps. Karen WHITSETT (D-Detroit), Alabas FARHAT (D-Dearborn), Ron ROBINSON (R-Utica) and Donni STEELE (R-Lake Orion). 

The bills intend to build off a $75 million appropriation set aside for the fund last year during the Democratic-controlled Legislature. However, previous legislation enshrining the fund in statute – allowing the money to be dispersed – was not approved by the Senate last term. 

Under the recent plan, 96 percent of the $75 million will go to cities, villages and townships initially based on their violent crime rates, and dedicated to public safety initiatives and operations. HB 4260 and HB 4261 look to create a $100 million yearly funding stream, at least, with future allotments based on the results of local governments' public safety efforts. 

Two percent would be devoted to Michigan's Crime Victim Rights Fund, assisting with the medical expenses, funeral bills and counseling of crime victims. Another 2 percent would go to public health grants for community violence prevention, and whatever is left over beyond $75 million will go to county sheriffs. 

"What we heard is that these city departments are ready to go. They see a need, and once we get them this money, they're going to hire new police … They're going to get them on the street, and they're going to fight crime," Hall said. "If they aren't getting the results and lowering their crime rates, they're not going to get the funding anymore … It's performance based, as well." 

Mayor Duggan, Speaker Hall and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

Chatter sprouted last year that the fund was stalled in the Senate because of Democrats wanting to attach it to other proposals, like new statewide regulations on police officers or reforming Michigan's 2019 auto insurance law (See "Duggan Calls Attempts To Link Public Safety Fund With Other Reforms 'Nonsense,'" 8/26/2024). 

"The bottom line is, this right now sits in the Senate," Whitsett said. "If any games are played, anything's done – what's not done – this is on the Senate, and there's a lot of lives in the Senate's hands." 

Duggan – who's running for governor as an independent ahead of 2026 – explained he's not assuming there's going to be a problem on the Senate side, calling it "absolutely not true" that Monday's event was a "House-versus-Senate" discussion. 

However, there were no senators in attendance at the roundtable. 

"A big part of the fiasco you saw last lame duck was people tying unrelated bills together and threatening each other, particularly between the House and the Senate … what Speaker Hall has done is start a fresh start – a clean bill that's coming out, and we are urging the Senate to make a decision based on the merits of this bill, not play games tying unrelated bills to it," Duggan said.

Duggan described himself as optimistic, especially because the fund was approved with no Democratic opposition during last year's budget votes for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. 

"Maybe six weeks from now I'll be surprised, but I'm not seeing any sign of that right now," he said. 

Bettison talked to the media about the city's investments in FORCE Detroit, the community violence intervention (CVI) organization. The group connects with youths at risk of engaging in violent activities, following the practices of "relentless outreach, cognitive behavioral therapy and deep relationship building." 

For FY '25, Bettison was hoping the $75 million was going to be unlocked so he could add two more CVI groups. 

"It's having an impact on how our young people are responding to each other. So we know we have gangs in the city of Detroit, but they have been successfully … able to mediate those beefs, so I'm not having the same level of street violence where young people (are) shooting those people in those areas," Bettison said. "At this particular point, I have to hold off on the expansion when it comes to community violence intervention, but I am appreciative of the fact that (for) my current groups, I'm able to continue them." 

Although Duggan and Hall were celebrating Monday, Hall explained it doesn't mean he's going to endorse the now independent for governor. 

"No, I'm going to support the Republican … there's some really great Republicans running," Hall said. "I want to be somebody who's available to all the candidates, that's done the work on the policy, so that when we get a new Republican governor, or even if it's Mike Duggan, we've got the policy vetted, ready to go, so we can hit the ground running with the next governor (with) the stuff we can't get done with (Gov. Gretchen WHITMER)."