LANSING, Mich — Crime in Lansing is down compared to last year, and the Lansing Police Department has unveiled a five-step plan to keep that trend going through the summer months.
- According to Lansing Police, Lansing has seen a drop in crime compared to last year, with fewer homicides (3 vs. 8) and non-fatal shootings (16 vs. 24).
- The Lansing Police Department introduced a summer strategy including: removing guns from streets, “Pop Up Patrol and Chill” in parks, neighborhood walk-and-talks, focused enforcement in hotspots, and aggressive driving crackdowns.
- Police and city officials stress the importance of community visibility, communication, and responsible gun ownership in reducing crime.
- Lansing is collaborating with local organizations to support safety efforts and youth engagement throughout the summer.
WATCH: Lansing police unveil five-step summer crime plan as statistics show improvement compared to last year
"We know that as it gets hotter, sometimes crime goes up," Mayor Andy Schor said.
According to Lansing police, crime has decreased compared to this time last year with 3 homicides and 16 non-fatal shootings as of today, compared to 8 homicides and 24 non-fatal shootings in 2023.
"The sharing of our plans is just as important as the plans themselves," Lansing Police Assistant Chief Eric Pratl said.
The five-step plan begins with keeping guns off the street.
"We're encouraging gun owners be responsible with your gun because if your gun gets stolen that's going to be up to you. That's your responsibility," Schor said.
The second initiative is called "Pop Up Patrol and Chill."
"Our officers are going to be popping into the city community parks armed with hot dogs, grills and drinks," Assistant Chief Pratl said.
The third step involves walk and talk efforts throughout neighborhoods.
"Our officers are out in the neighborhoods on bikes and walking around talking to folks," Schor said.
Fourth on the list is focused enforcement, also called night watch.
"This effort is aimed to be proactively addressing our hotspot areas," Assistant Chief Pratl said.
The final component is aggressive driving enforcement.
"These are things that we've already been doing. This plan simply highlights our efforts and puts an emphasis on community visibility and communication," Assistant Chief Pratl said.
Lansing officials acknowledge they can't tackle crime reduction alone and are leaning on partnerships with community organizations.
"They're huge... whether it's camps, the YMCA, Mikey 23," Schor said.
Throughout the summer, LPD hopes to continue joint efforts to make neighborhoods safer.
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