Michigan – Michigan is making it easier for new investments to help make the state’s public safety initiatives stronger. There are now competitive grant applications for two different programs that focus on cold case investigations and critical incident mapping. The Michigan State Police Grants and Community Services Division is in charge of the funding, which was approved in the state’s budget for the fiscal year 2026.
One grant opportunity is meant to help cold case programs at universities. Michigan institutions who already have a cold case program or plan to start one in the fiscal year 2026 can apply for funding. Institutions can ask for up to $200,000 to pay for the costs of running and running their cold case programs.
The money is meant to help colleges and institutions pay for research, analysis, and other activities that help police look into crimes that haven’t been solved yet. Applications for this program must be submitted by noon Eastern Time on February 18, 2026.
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Michigan counties that want to use critical incident mapping to make their communities safer can apply for a separate grant. Counties can apply for up to $25,000 per grant to help them build mapping tools that will help with emergency response and coordination during critical occurrences.
This program allows each county to get up to three separate grants. County mapping grants are due by 12:00 Eastern Time on March 4, 2026.
State officials say the money is meant to expand on work that is already being done to keep people safe while also promoting new ideas and partnerships.
The commanders of the Michigan State Police said that the awards are aimed to improve first responders’ ability to investigate and their awareness of the situation, which will ultimately lead to better public safety results across the state.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature authorized the money as part of the state budget. This shows a larger commitment to promoting collaborations between law enforcement and data-driven public safety initiatives. We encourage eligible colleges and counties to carefully read the requirements and send in full applications by the deadlines.
The Michigan State Police Grants and Community Services Division website has all the information about both grant programs, including who may apply and what materials they need to submit.