ICYMI: McDonald Rivet Announces New Efforts to Support Mid-Michigan Law Enforcement

SAGINAW— Today, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) kicked off National Police Week by hosting a press conference with Saginaw Deputy Police Chief Matthew Gerow to announce efforts to support law enforcement and public safety in mid-Michigan. Congresswoman McDonald Rivet highlighted new federal funding requests, as well as legislative solutions to support law enforcement.

At the press conference, Congresswoman McDonald Rivet said, “Our brave men and women in uniform put their lives on the line to protect and serve our community. I'm very proud to stand with them today. And like I have my entire career, I’m going to fight to make sure that they have the tools they need to succeed.”

The federal funding requests are part of Congresswoman McDonald Rivet’s Community Project Funding Initiative she is fighting to have included in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget. They include:

• A Saginaw Police Department request to replace outdated equipment, purchase state-of-the-art technology, and invest in crime-stopping initiatives.
  • “Thank you to you and your staff for making it a priority to keep not only the citizens of our community safe but equipping us with the proper equipment to do our jobs,” said Deputy Chief Gerow at this morning’s press conference. “This technology and equipment will keep citizens safe and those that come to work, play, and worship in Saginaw. Inherently, everybody wants to be safe, and we are committed to increasing the safety by utilizing these innovative policing strategies.”
• A Bay County Sheriff Department request to modernize their patrol vehicle fleet and purchase a search-and-rescue trailer that would improve emergency response times.
  • “With this funding, we want to secure new vehicles and dive team resources to protect Bay County residents and cut down on emergency response times,” said Sheriff Troy Cunningham. “I’m thankful to Representative McDonald Rivet for all her support for this project and her understanding of our community’s needs.”
• A Michigan State Police request to acquire safety equipment to protect officers in the line of duty and make technology upgrades.
  • “Every dollar of this funding would go toward upgrading the critical public safety tools and equipment that law enforcement needs to keep mid-Michiganders safe,” said Colonel James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police. “We’re grateful to have a law enforcement champion like Congresswoman McDonald Rivet fighting for our priorities in Washington.”
• A Flushing Police Department request to source new patrol vehicles, bulletproof vests, radios, and safety equipment.
  • “This vital funding would allow us to upgrade the tools and equipment we need to keep families safe, including new vehicles, vests, and radios,” said Chief Steve Colosky. “We appreciate Representative McDonald Rivet understanding and fighting to secure these important tools.”

In addition to these federal funding requests, Congresswoman McDonald Rivet is advocating for multiple pieces of legislation to stand up for law enforcement and public safety, all of which are supported by both Republicans and Democrats. 

• The Invest to Protect Act of 2025 establishes a grant program for cities and towns with especially small police departments to help them recruit, train, and retain more officers – nearly every department in mid-Michigan would qualify.
• The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act provides benefits to the families of public safety officers who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers.
• The Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act creates a Federal Housing Administration home loan program for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics, eliminating the down payment requirement and monthly mortgage insurance premium for first-time homebuyers.
• The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act establishes a coordinated multi-agency response and creates new tools to tackle trends in organized retail theft.
• The Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act helps state and local governments purchase containment devices to safely store narcotics and preserve them for evidentiary use. It also provides training to reduce first responders’ risk of exposure to lethal substances in the line of duty.
• The Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers.

Congresswoman McDonald Rivet has a long history of partnering with and supporting law enforcement. When she served on the Bay City Commission, she increased funding for law enforcement to hire more cops on the beat, and in the State Senate, she secured robust funding for officer training and retention, state and local public safety, community engagement, and violence intervention programs. During her campaign for Congress, she was endorsed by sheriffs, prosecutors, and the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police.