- A new program aims to allow individuals facing domestic violence charges to voluntarily surrender their firearms before a conviction.
- The initiative involves the 54-A District Court, Ingham County Prosecutor's Office, and Lansing Police Department.
- Advocates like Tanesha Asha-kor, a domestic violence survivor, support the program but question its effectiveness.
- The city received nearly $130,000 in grant funding to start the program.
- The program also applies to those facing sexual assault and stalking charges.
- Watch video above for me.
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Tanesha Ash-Shakoor remembers a lot of the tough emotions she experienced during a one year abusive relationship.
“He held me at knife point, in a room for three Horus and even called family and told them that he was going to murder me,” she said.
Ash-Shakoor eventually got out, but she knows other victims face the same challenges today, which is why she started Voices of Color, a non profit organization that advocates for those experiencing abuse. Through this work, she’s noticed an unfortunate trend.
“More often than not, there's a weapon in the home, probably 80 90% of the time when abuse is happening,” Ash-Shakoor said.
Which brings us to a PILOT program that the 54-a District Court, the Ingham County's Prosecutors Office and the Lansing Police Department are trying to get up and running.
“We’re trying to mimic and look at different programs throughout the nation that allows people to relinquish their firearm, when ordered not to carry them,” said. Chief assistant Ingham County Prosecutor Nicole Matusko.
Matusko said the program aims to be an incentive for people facing domestic violence charges to give up their guns before a potential conviction, which is often ordered by the judge, but not always followed.
Now, turning over firearms could allow people to avoid a 5-year felony that comes with violating the red flag domestic violence law.
The city received nearly $130,000 in grant funding to start the program and while advocates like Ash-Shakoor think its a step in the right direction, they don't know if it will be effective.
“We're asking abusers who are manipulative and don't believe they're abusers to relinquish their firearms, I don't think they're going to do that,” Ash-Shakoor said.
It's unclear when the program will be up and running because we're told as of right now, the court, the prosecutors office and LPD are all in the research phase of it.
