After a recent statewide series of compliance checks on probationers and parolees, 571 illegal guns were taken off the streets of Michigan. Officers also recovered ammunition and illegal drugs, according to a statement from Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office.
"As a former prosecutor, protecting public safety is a top priority,” said Whitmer in the news release. “By getting more than 550 illegal firearms out of the hands of criminals before they can be used in the commission of a crime, we are taking action to keep families and communities safe."
During Operation Safe Neighborhoods, law enforcement officers across the state checked in with more than 5,300 high-risk felony offenders, people who cannot legally possess a gun due to prior criminal convictions.
In Operation Safe Neighborhoods, parole and probation agents team up with local law enforcement to conduct targeted compliance checks on probationers and parolees who are legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plan focused on individuals who have weapons possession in their criminal history, and could use weapons to commit further crime.
Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Michigan involve a firearm, according to statistics from the governor’s office.