Flint’s mayor says his city must be more aggressive in combating violent crime in 2023.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley delivered his yearly State of the City address Tuesday night.
Neeley said to combat crime, the city is offering increased financial incentives to hire more police officers, and establishing a new “cold case unit.”
The mayor said the city is starting a gun buyback program, which will offer higher bounties for assault-style weapons.
“It’s important to understand that we have to be aggressive and intentional about the way that we fight crime here in the city of Flint,” said Neeley.
Violent crime in Flint edged lower in the past year.
According to FBI crime statistics released this fall, Flint’s violent crime rate fell below that of Detroit, Saginaw, Kalamazoo, and Lansing in 2021.
In his speech, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley touched on other subjects as well, from education to economic development.
He also renewed his call to “rebrand” Flint.
Neeley wants to change the city’s image as a community defined by its water crisis.
“It’s time that we rewrite our narrative,” Neeley said, “That is our task moving forward.”
