KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed that teen gun violence had gotten out of hand in Kalamazoo, and many local efforts were initiated in response.
Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Dave Boysen says the numbers show they have worked, and then some.
The biggest successes have come in reducing gun violence by teens, which during the pandemic caused the murder rate to spike to 21 murders in one year.
From that high, it dropped to 10 killings in 2024 and just 7 last year.
Boysen says firearm assaults have also dropped dramatically.
He says their knowledge of who is causing problems combined with street outreach groups and partners like Bend Not Break, Pastors on Patrol that he calls their “special sauce,” have made a difference to prevent crimes.
Chief Boysen says none of last year’s murders were committed by teens, and almost all of them have been solved with suspects in custody.
He says it’s taken a concerted effort on several fronts, working with the juvenile justice system, street intervention teams and modern crime-solving technology to make it happen.
Boysen hopes the downward trend will continue if they keep the strategies in place.
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