To my friends, neighbors and fellow residents:
I have talked with several of you since we learned of Saturday’s attempted robbery and wanted to reach out more broadly to our community.
I am deeply grateful that the injuries sustained by one of our residents were minor. I am also very grateful for the quick response of our Public Safety team and the support they have received from Grand Rapids. East Grand Rapids is a very safe place to live, but incidents like these remind us that no community is immune from crime.
Know that we are being very proactive in our response to Saturday’s incident, as well as to the rash of robberies that have troubled communities throughout West Michigan this summer. Our Public Safety team has:
- Increased patrols. Ours is a 24-7 Public Safety team of officers who are cross-trained to respond to any type of emergency call. We have multiple patrol cars on the road every day around the clock, including after midnight.
- Partnered with neighboring municipalities. We have worked with the Grand Rapids Police Department and other municipalities to share information that has allowed us to apprehend those behind the string of robberies. We also appreciated GRPD and its K-9 unit for their assistance in Saturday’s incident.
- Enhanced education. Our Public Safety team is continuing to work to get the word out about steps we can all take to make ourselves, our cars and our homes safer. I realize that we have said this before, but it bears repeating: Lock your cars and lock your homes. Don’t walk alone at night. Simple steps, yes, but they can make a true difference – and make us all less of an attractive target.
Finally, if you see something suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately. Don’t think you are “bothering” us. You are not; you may be helping to prevent a crime.
With our Public Safety team leading the way, we can all make East Grand Rapids an even safer community.
Best regards,
Mayor Amna Seibold
