By Ashley Silver
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The death of Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Ryan Proxmire prompted a bill that will provide nearly $25 million in funds for an important vehicle safety component to become a reality.
According to WOOD News, it’s been a year since the murder of Proxmire. A conversation between Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller and Officer Proxmire’s father shed light on a feature that could potentially prevent future officer deaths: bullet-resistant windows in patrol vehicles.
The sheriff shared the idea with lawmakers in Michigan, leading to State Rep. Christine Morse introducing a bill that would set aside approximately $25 million to install the safety feature into patrol vehicles.
“I talked to his family about it,” Morse told WOOD News. “And it really has brought them to tears. It really is incredible how they have gone through this terrible tragedy, and they don’t want anybody else to have to deal with this and lose a loved one in such a terrible way.”
Half of the funds will be used to purchase new bullet-resistant windows and doors for current cruisers, while the latter portion will be utilized to create a grant program to help other law enforcement agencies in Michigan also upgrade their vehicles.
The bill states the project should be completed by 2026.