Michigan House floats $250M spending plan to recruit, retain law enforcement

Lansing — A Michigan House panel on Wednesday unveiled a $250 million supplemental spending bill that would aid law enforcement with equipment upgrades and by subsidizing the recruitment and retention of employees. 

The supplemental would fund police academy scholarships, signing and retention bonuses, out-of-state recruitment, school resource officers and explorer programs. 

Rep. Mike Mueller, a Linden Republican and former sheriff's deputy, noted the funding could help to address law enforcement shortages and boost morale. The Fraternal Order of Police estimated Michigan was down about 4,000 police officers — an about 18% decrease — since Sept. 11, 2001, he said. 

"The problem has gotten worse in recent years with the anti-police rhetoric growing," Mueller said at a House Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday. "...We should have the backs of our law enforcement officers at all times, but it's more important now than ever.”

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office said Wednesday she was pleased to share the goal of "supporting police, reducing crime and uplifting communities across the state." Whitmer's office noted her $75 million plan, announced in August, also sought to support police. 

"Our top priority is ensuring that every Michigander feels safe going to work, picking their kids up, stopping at the grocery store, or going for a walk around the block," said Bobby Leddy, a spokesman for the governor. 

After moving a $70 billion budget earlier this year, the state has about $10 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds yet to be appropriated. Lawmakers have discretion over about $5.7 billion of the total remaining $10 billion.

Of the $250 million proposal unveiled Wednesday, about $93 million would be made up of American Rescue Plan dollars and the remainder would come from a state general fund surplus, House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Thomas Albert said. 

The Lowell Republican said he hopes to get some of the federal funding appropriated before the end of the year, but expects the bulk of the federal COVID relief funds will be addressed in 2022. He said lawmakers are waiting for the dust to settle on the recent federal infrastructure bill to determine what that money will encompass in Michigan and what funding priorities may be better addressed by the COVID relief dollars. 

Albert noted lawmakers also are looking at issues such as critical shortages in hospital systems and learning loss as priorities moving forward. The police funding package is a "start" on distributing those federal COVID relief funds, he said.

"This is something we can get behind," Albert said. "This is something we can start building some momentum on."

The $250 million spending plan unveiled Wednesday is an expansion of an $80 million first responder recruitment and retention plan House Republicans floated in May. 

Whitmer's $75 million law enforcement funding package announced in August would invest in recruitment and retention, efforts to get illegal guns off the street and education and job training.

One of the largest spending priorities under the $250 million is about $57.5 million for a "Move to Michigan" program that would allow officers from out-of-state to keep their retirement benefits if they move into Michigan. They also would get one year of free hunting and fishing licenses and recreation passports.

About $40 million would go toward police academy scholarships, $25 million to communications equipment, $20 million to signing and retention bonuses, and $18.5 million for equipment purchases such as cameras and body armor. 

About $10 million each would go toward community policing, explorer or job shadow programs, reimbursement for unpaid COVID-19 quarantines, school resource officers and corrections officers training and recruitment bonuses. 

Another $7.5 million would go toward mental health assistance, $9 million for training and certification fees and $2.5 million for police dog grants.

eleblanc@detroitnews.com