Downriver Today

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has announced that the Secondary Road Patrol (SRP) program will receive more funds due to a series of bipartisan bills.,

The bills hope to promote driver safety by having more officers on patrol, along with more money for training and holding onto employees, according to a news release issued by the state government.

The bills are an extension of the MI Safe Communities program that Whitmer created last summer to improve local police forces through a multitude of methods.

“This is an exciting opportunity for communities across Michigan to improve neighborhoods,” Anne Giroux, Michigan Association of Land Banks president, said in the release. “The Michigan Association of Land Banks thanks the legislature and Governor for their important, bipartisan support of blight elimination efforts. This investment in Michigan's communities will directly improve the lives of Michigan residents and we look forward to working with the State Land Bank to put these funds to work throughout Michigan.”

House Bills (HB) 5569, 5732 and 5772 will enhance the SRP coffers from $10 million to $15 million with the SRP funding now relying less on the general fund and more on the liquor fund.

“As a former prosecutor, public safety is a top priority for me,” Whitmer said. “Today’s bipartisan bills will improve road safety by putting more officers out on patrol. The 50% increase in funding for the SRP program will also improve law enforcement recruitment and retention by bolstering the funding stream and enabling sheriff departments to give their officers more stability. I will work with anyone to protect public safety, and I am proud of the bipartisan budget I signed earlier this year that ensures law enforcement at every level, from the MSP to local departments, have the resources they need to keep people safe.”

Whitmer added that no one should feel unsafe at work, school or in their neighborhoods and these bills would keep drivers safe on the road.