Victims of violent crime need more support | Opinion

Officials warned again this month that violent crime in Detroit is out of control — yet our state has one of the worst track records in the nation when it comes to supporting crime victims. As someone who narrowly survived gunshot wounds myself, I know that we can’t stop the cycle of violence without healing the pain that dwells in so many communities. We must do more to help traumatized crime victims heal.

On Christmas Day 1997, while I was home on holiday break from the University of Michigan, I became the victim of gun violence. I tried to break up an argument between a sister and brother in my neighborhood, but I never thought that it would lead to near-fatal violence. I was shot multiple times, and ended up losing vision in my right eye. The entire experience took a toll on me physically and emotionally, and the recovery was long and difficult.

There is no more important function of our safety and justice systems than helping crime victims in the aftermath of violence, something Michigan’s public safety policies should be focused on achieving. 

We know that when states invest in helping traumatized victims heal, it stabilizes communities. They increase the chances that a crime victim will return to work and continue paying their bills — they're even more likely to work with law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice. When victims of violence don't receive support, it can lead to homelessness, addiction — even more violence. Too often, the people firing guns were first victims of violence themselves, living with unaddressed trauma that can lead to desperation and more tragic outcomes. 

Yet, as a victim of gun violence and someone who has worked with other crime victims, I know that the state’s victim services program has left too many of us behind. Communities that experience violence the most currently do not have equal access to recovery support from Michigan Crime Victim Services Commission (CVSC) programs. 

This uneven approach hinders our state from achieving public safety, especially during moments of increased violence like communities are experiencing now due to the instability of the global pandemic. As homicides and shootings in Detroit increased during 2020 and domestic violence cases rose, there is an immense urgency to act. We can no longer afford for some communities to be left behind. 

This gap in recovery support for crime victims is what led me to join thousands of other survivors from across our state to push for changes as part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. Our network consists of victims of domestic violence, gun violence, sexual violence and many other types of violence, who reject the notion that our state cannot do better.  

We can improve public safety in Michigan by reducing the barriers to victim services that too many face after they’ve been harmed, which we know helps curb the cycle of violence in under-resourced communities. State lawmakers have an opportunity to make a positive difference in this issue, improving public safety and the lives of thousands of crime victims.

Michigan’s CVSC currently has the lowest victim compensation application rate of any state in the country for victims of certain violent crimes. Many survivors are excluded, while others face unreasonable time limits to apply due to the state’s application timelines being the shortest in the country. Someone who was robbed at gunpoint and traumatized, but suffered no physical injury, is ineligible and forced to recover without help. The state also denies applications at a rate higher than the national average, and less than 2% of victims of violent crimes receive compensation from CVSC.

The recently introduced Safer Michigan Act can help address these unnecessary wounds to our state’s public safety system by ensuring all crime victims have equal access to recovery support. These policy reforms can make communities safer by helping more crime victims recover from traumatic, violent experiences that could otherwise upend their lives. 

Crime victims want to be safe in our homes, our communities, and our state. That is something all Michiganders want.

Our state government can take a critical step forward in helping us reach that goal by helping all crime victims get more help, with less red tape. 

We can no longer afford to waste the opportunities to improve public safety for Michigan. Let’s take the smart approach and pass the Safer Michigan Act.

Qiana Wimbley is a victim of gun violence and member of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a national network of crime victims with over 2,400 members representing 78 counties in Michigan.