East Lansing is signing on to implement a community intervention strategy to reduce gun violence.
The East Lansing City Council approved a partnership with Advance Peace. The initiative has been collaborating with Ingham County and neighboring Lansing since 2022 to mentor individuals who have a history with gun violence and provide resources to deter future incidents.
The funding approved this week will expand that outreach to East Lansing, with the goal to disrupt gang-related conflicts.
“If we engage the folks who are at the center of gun violence and get them out of that behavior, then it will impact the overall gun violence within the community,” said Paul Elam, chief strategy officer with the Michigan Public Health Institute, which is administering the program in Ingham County.
"Based on our targeting individuals who live in the city of Lansing, we have insight that some of the opposition and folks that they feud with live in other geographies, some in East Lansing," he added. "We believe that there's a need to establish a fellowship like this in this geography as well so that we can work with both sides of these feuds."
Advance Peace is receiving a $175,000 federal grant to extend its efforts in East Lansing. The funding approved by the council Tuesday matches that grant, providing support for the program for two years.
City councilmember Mark Meadows said he’s excited to see how the program turns out.
“We've been looking for ways to improve public safety within our community," he said. "This is one of those ways it does not undermine the impact of the police department and our need for more police officers.”
Advance Peace will work with the East Lansing Police Department to determine a gun violence reduction goal. The partnership is set to begin in July.