WILX 10: New Lansing Police data says gun violence crimes are down

Riley Connell, WILX 10

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - New data from Lansing officials shows crime in the Capital City was down across the board in 2024, with a focus on decreasing gun violence numbers.

According to statistics gathered by both the office of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus, shooting-related deaths decreased by 20% between 2023 and 2024.

During that time, non-fatal shootings saw a decrease of 11.5% and incidents where a gun was fired off without injury or death also went down 32%.

“Regardless of what the instance is, when we’re seeing this decrease in firearm crimes, we know that we’re making positive progress,” Backus said, after sharing the data with members of the media on Tuesday.

It’s taken years for the city to see the number of shootings weaken, citing a noticeable increase in gun violence incidents following the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Schor called it a step in the right direction, with more work to do in 2025.

“I’ll never claim victory,” he said. “Not when there’s one incident will I claim victory, but the numbers are going in the right direction and that’s a good thing.”

Both Schor and Backus attribute the drop in gun violence to their community partnerships, which helped change the conversation around why those incidents happen, and the right way to address it.

Over the last few years, they’ve built relationships with local mental health and public health organizations, and community-led groups like Lansing 360, Advance Peace, and the Mikey 23 Foundation.

Other law enforcement agencies have also helped Lansing make strides in preventing violence, Backus said, including the office of Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney John Dewane and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten.

“And the people that we’re seeing come to the table have a skill set that we don’t have,” Backus said. “They have connections that we don’t have.”

That effort also helped to build the Lansing Empowerment Network. CEO Michael Lynn Jr. said things are looking up, but now it’s time for everyday community members to get involved.

“Even if it doesn’t seem like it’s your bag, or something that’s in your front yard, violence just has no name, no geographical boundaries, it could go and be anywhere, and it is,” he told News 10.

Lynn said people directly affected by gun violence often shy away from those conversations because of distrust toward law enforcement and other city departments. He believes those relationships are beginning to mend because of actions taken by law enforcement leaders like Backus.

“What we’re doing right now, as far as Lansing Empowerment Network and really empowering people to lead in these spaces I think is going to help the trust process,” he said. “As long as the police department and administration are willing to come along and be a servant to those groups and those coming forward”

Lynn added that the Lansing Empowerment Network continues to meet on a weekly basis with law enforcement and other community leaders to k

Read the original article here.