Late last month 20 City of Flint police officers received layoff notices, which means more work needs to be done by the remaining staff and their partners.
One of those partners is the Michigan State Police Flint Post, which says it's done quite a bit for Flint in the past year and will be there even more now.
Assistant Commander at the Michigan State Police Flint Post Stephen Sipes showed local media more than three dozens of guns on a table in a conference room. "All these guns you see here today were obtained by using a simple proactive patrol stop for some minor traffic violation," says Sipes.
The guns on the table represent less than one-third of the guns taken off Flint streets by the Michigan State Police in the last year.
"Ninety-nine percent the time they are in an automobile," says Sipes referring to violent criminals.
That's why the Michigan State Police are using traffic stops in hopes of netting more violent crime.
From October 1, 2009 to November 2010, troopers made nearly 5,300 stops in the City of Flint taking 141 illegal firearms and arresting 448 fugitives.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling says, "We have to work together. We have to stretch those dollars as far as we can and provide as much opportunity as possible."
It's been working for the City of Saginaw who's partnered with the Michigan State Police for several years.
For them, more traffic stops, mean less crime.
Saginaw is on pace to have one of its lowest murder numbers in recent memory.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling says new proposals are still being considered to prevent 20 officers from being laid off.
In May, three Michigan State Police squads were assigned to Flint because of an up-tick in violence.
Right now, two squads remain.
Each squad is made up of 6-people.
