To: Dale K. Weighill, Governmental Operations Committee Chairperson
From: Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson
title
RE: Approval of renewal of a grant award from The Mott Foundation in the amount of $1.2 million; this renewal allows the Sheriff’s Office to continue providing police responses to a ten (10) square mile area within the city of Flint; the term of this grant is from August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of a grant award from the C. S. Mott Foundation in the amount of $1.2 million.
BACKGROUND:
There continues to be a need for increased public safety resources within the City of Flint. Flint, our county seat, consistently ranks among the most violent cities in America. Due to dwindling resources, the Flint Police Department has been forced to take a mostly reactive posture related to crime. There are limited resources to target crime hot spots in a proactive manner. In June of 2022, the Genesee County Sheriff, in collaboration with the Mott Foundation, began a targeted crime enforcement initiative in the central business district and surrounding college campuses. This pilot grant program targeted an area defined as Robert T. Longway on the north, Dort Hwy. on the east, Dupont St. on the west and I-69 on the south. Since then, this targeted area has increased to cover the GM plants on VanSlyke and McLaren Hospital. This area is now approximately 10 sq. miles. This enforcement initiative allowed the Flint Police Department to redeploy to areas outside of the central business district and college campus areas and focus on crimes that are negatively impacting neighborhoods. During the 2024-2025 grant period the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office average response time was 4.5 minutes. The Sheriff’s Office has responded to over 15,273 calls for service, conducted 8,980 business checks, and 4,985 neighborhood checks. The Genesee County Sheriff Office also conducted 1,887 felony arrests and 3,568 misdemeanor arrests. These numbers represent the continued success of Operation Arrowhead, and C.S. Mott Foundation has requested this partnership continue for an additional year.
DISCUSSION:
None.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
None
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
There is no match required for this grant and therefore no general fund requests. Please see the attached budget.
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
None
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
None
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
The acceptance of this grant conforms to the County priorities by promoting public health to create safer communities. It also expands the role of the County as a convener to enhance relationships that contribute to the growth of our community.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by the Office of Genesee County Sheriff to authorize accepting a grant from the Charles Stuart Mott Foundation to Genesee County, in the amount of $1,200,000.00, to provide for police patrol and investigative services within a 10-square-mile area within the City of Flint, with no match required, and to further authorize entering into a grant agreement to provide the services for the period commencing August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documents being on file with the official records of the July 16, 2025 meeting of the Governmental Operations Committee of this Board), the Chairperson of this Board is authorized to execute the grant agreement on behalf of Genesee County, and the Chief Financial Officer is directed to record the attached budget amendment.