U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO WORK WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

U.S. Justice Department Designates Saginaw in the Eastern District of Michigan Under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act, Prioritizing Firearms Prosecutions of Domestic

Violence Offenders

BAY CITY - Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.

The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney's offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.

"According to available National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, Saginaw has one of the highest rates of firearm violence against intimate partners in the state, and our office is committed to use all the tools in our toolbox to partner with local and federal law enforcement and community organizations to reduce firearm-related domestic violence in Saginaw and across the Eastern District of Michigan," stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18

U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.

In the Eastern District of Michigan, Saginaw has been designated.

The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community