Written by Tanya Terry, with featured photo by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Flint Police Chief Terence Green (speaking) is part of the coordinated response to violent crime in Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley is calling for.
On August 25, a press conference was held at Flint City Hall Dome to address an increase in gun violence in the community. Mayor Sheldon Neeley called for a coordinated response involving law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and community leaders, emphasizing that gun violence is a community safety issue requiring collective action.
“I repeat before I bring up some other speakers, the great words of Nelson Mandela, safety and security does not just happen,” said Neeley. “They are a result of collective consensus and investments.”
Neeley cited data from Giffords Law Center showing that homicides are the leading cause of death for Black men aged 15 to 44 for over 50 years, and highlighted that in 2024, more young Black men died from gun violence than from accidents, suicide, heart attacks and diseases combined.
The mayor recognized affected families, including the Hurley and Williams families who lost 3-year-old Messiah Williams to a drive-by shooting.
Neeley discussed efforts to combat illegally modified firearms, particularly those equipped with switches that convert semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic weapons.
Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County representative Julie Lopez announced a $500 reward for tips leading to arrests related to possession of modified weapons, with information available through Crime Stoppers hotline 1-800-422-5245, P3tips.com, or the P3 tips app.
Police Chief Terence Green outlined enforcement strategies targeting violent offenders, including targeting homes used for retaliatory shootings, vehicles without proper registration and individuals harboring or assisting offenders.
Green said: “As the mayor stated, we experienced another uptick in violent crime in our community. But, the City of Flint Police Department and our partners, ATF, state police, the Sheriff’s Department, University of Michigan, Flint Department of Public Safety -We’re not going to accept that. We’re going to push even harder. We’re going to get even more aggressive on the individuals, the drivers of this crime. We’re going to target you. We’re going to continue to target you hard through our initiatives, through all of our efforts to arrest you and put you in jail. And I want to add to that individuals that are engaged in this type of activity, that commit these type of drive by shootings and to occupy dwellings and vehicles, injuring innocent people that aren’t the target of this violence -anybody that harbors or assist these offenders of these violent acts, we’ll be going after you also. We will prosecute you for harboring, for assisting them in avoiding capture.”
Green told the Courier that the intended target of the shooting in which the mayor’s daughter was shot August 3 was a home near the intersection of Begole Street and Milbourne Avenue that had been shot at many times. He stated it was occupied during the August 3 shooting, but it was later condemned.
He also stated he has believes the penalty for drive by shootings that cause innocent and/or unintended people to be injured should be harsher.
Sergeant Sarah Combs discussed the real-time crime center and the threat posed by high-capacity magazines and modified firearms.
Colonel James Grady II from Michigan State Police and ATF representatives affirmed partnerships and commitment to removing dangerous weapons and holding violent offenders accountable.
Flint City Council President Candice Mushatt discussed the need for wraparound services addressing mental health and community support alongside enforcement.
Shebra Ward, director of Office of Health and Strategies for the City of Flint, outlined mental health resources and support services available by calling 810-410-2020.
The City highlighted existing prevention programs including daytime curfews from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on school days and nighttime curfews, plus the CVIPI program teaching deescalation skills in schools.
