BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- Benton Harbor leaders, local pastors, and Michigan State Police officers gathered on Tuesday to give an update on the first week of the city’s "21 Days of Peace" initiative.
The goal of this initiative remains to stop gun violence and improve relationships between the police and community members in the area.
Officers are spending more time out of their patrol cars to respectfully and peacefully interact with residents Benton Harbor.
"That is how we're trying to deal with that and build our department. That's how we recruit, make sure people are a fit. All we ask is just have the respect for not the officers themselves but for the community, because all we're asking you to do is what's best for the community,” said Dan McGinnis, Benton Harbor Public Safety Officer.
Local pastors will be holding peace vigils every night through August 29.