GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young is warning residents about increased crime in the area. Sheriff Young told WZZM-13, “There is an increase in violence in Kent County, and as a result, we have to improve our response to it.”

Since 2019, crime in Kent County has been steadily rising, including a large number of recent violent crimes that are happening south of Grand Rapids.

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Sheriff Young says, “I think relative to the number of bodies that we’re dealing with there, there is certainly a propensity for crime…If I look at other retail areas that are similar in nature throughout Kent County, really the same kinds of things are happening at all of those central places, whether it’s in Wyoming or Kentwood.”

Young points to the large amount of people who have recently moved into the county’s townships. She said, “9,800 people…we’ve increased in the townships of Kent County.”

Looking at the county’s online dashboard, it shows that 253 aggravated assaults have taken place in 2023 so far, closing in on the 275 that took place in 2022. Of the 253 aggravated assaults, Young says 58 of those incidents have involved a gun. She adds that motor vehicle theft also continues to rise, saying, “This is a huge factor for the safety of our communities, period. They’re driving in ways that are criminal and dangerous. They’re using these vehicles in other crimes.”

Some townships, including Gaines, Algoma and Cortland, have entered into a contract with the Sheriff’s Office to increase officers. Young says, “We’ve also added school resource officers, community police officers, all of those resources add people that we can use to help resolve these crimes.”

Young adds, “There’s never going to be enough law enforcement to keep community safe all by themselves. The community has to participate in that. That generally shows up like reporting incidents that happen even if they seem minor, talking about what you saw, being a witness in the event that you do witness something, taking reasonable preventative actions.”