Macomb County Prosecutor Pioneers AI-Driven Text Alerts for Crime Victims

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
Contact: Dawn Fraylick, Communications Director 
Office: +1 (586) 469-5737 
Cell: +1 (586) 842-4421
Email: Dawn.Fraylick@macombgov.org     

July 15, 2024                   

Macomb County Prosecutor Pioneers AI-Driven Text Alerts for Crime Victims

Mount Clemens, MI - Whether it's for doctor's appointments, dental checkups, or salon visits, text message reminders have become a common convenience in daily life. Now, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is pioneering the use of this technology to send court hearing reminders to crime victims.  The new initiative sends court hearing reminders via text message, complete with AI-generated videos, ensuring that victims receive timely notifications and essential information about their cases.

For years, assistant prosecutors and police have grappled with the challenge of providing crime victims with sufficient advance notice of court hearings. Now, leveraging the power of technology, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is addressing this issue head-on.

Under the leadership of Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido, the office began last month sending text messages to crime victims when new criminal cases are issued. These text messages include contact information for the prosecutor’s Victim Rights Unit, a link to the form for requesting crime victim rights and instructions on how to opt out of text notifications. Additionally, each victim receives a 30-second AI-generated video from Prosecutor Lucido. (See example https://youtu.be/aw8NULESaKs.) Within 24 hours of a district court clerk scheduling a new court hearing, victims receive a text notice of upcoming preliminary examination hearings and trials, and an AI-generated video explaining that hearing.

"We know that timely and clear communication is crucial for crime victims," Lucido emphasized. "By using text messages and AI-generated videos, we are giving victims the tools they need to stay informed and prepared. This innovative approach ensures victims have the support and information necessary to participate fully in the legal process, helping us achieve justice more effectively."

For more information on victim rights services, please contact the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office at 586-469-5675, Email: crimevictims@macombgov.org  or visit our website at https://www.macombgov.org/victims-rights.

Lucido's office has seen significant improvements under his leadership. He has established modern units to prosecute modern crimes, modernized technology, and secured a record number of federal grants. In addition to enhancing crime victim services, other progress includes:

• Child Support Collections Increased: intensified efforts to collect child support from parents who owe $5,000 or more, successfully collecting $1 million for Macomb County children since last year under this new initiative, with most collections done while avoiding criminal prosecution.
   
• Mental Health Assessments for Gun Crime Defendants: Started a first-in-Michigan policy requiring mental health assessments as part of bond conditions in all gun crime cases, using existing resources to provide an opportunity for mental health services before a suspect gets a chance to commit another crime with a gun.
   
• Hate Crimes Unit Launched: created a Hate Crimes Unit, securing a vital U.S. Department of Justice grant paying 100% of all its costs, a distinction granted to only 16 organizations nationwide. Appointed Michigan's first and only solely-dedicated hate crimes prosecutor at a county level, ensuring robust enforcement and community education.
   
• Conviction Integrity Unit Exoneration: started this unit to investigate claims of innocence as a result of clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense, and to review claims of factual innocence based on new evidence such as DNA.  This unit secured an exoneration.
   
• Major Crimes Unit Launched: Prosecutor Lucido organized the top-ranked assistant prosecutors to focus on major crimes, and train more APAs to handle these types of cases.
   
• Warrant Appeals Unit Launched: Established the state’s first formal prosecutor’s office unit allowing victims and law enforcement officials to have a second review of warrant requests where charges were denied.
   
• Digital Evidence Management Platform Implemented: With over 800,000 pieces of digital evidence, police agencies can now upload digital evidence, which the Prosecutor’s Office reviews, and defense lawyers can download directly, resulting in “discovery” information faster than it’s ever been provided.
   
• Increased Internships: Hosted over 200 law school and college interns. Court rules permit law student interns to handle court hearings under supervision, which helps the office serve victims and expedite cases.
   
• Paperless Crime Victim Rights: Implemented the county’s first paperless system for crime victims to request rights and notifications via text message or online through the Prosecutor’s Office website.
   
• Police Training Provided: Regular training sessions by assistant prosecutors are conducted for every police agency in Macomb County, including updates on recent court cases.
   
• Enhanced Auto Theft Unit: Addressed a surge in attacks on car dealerships and manufacturing plants, prosecuting more continuing criminal enterprise cases in the past two years than in the previous decade, resulting in over $800,000 in restitution.

“The real winners are crime victims and county residents who now have a Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office they can be proud of,” said Lucido.