The
Michigan State Police (MSP) is the
state policeState police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
agency for the state of Michigan. The MSP is a full service law enforcement agency with its sworn members having full police powers statewide.
The department was founded in 1917 as a war-time constabulary and eventually evolved into the modern agency that it is today. The department's enlisted members are called "
Troopers". The department had 1,730 sworn members as of November 2009, however, that number has been reduced. It has its headquarters in
LansingLansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
.
History
The Michigan Department of State Police began as a temporary, wartime emergency force for the purpose of domestic security during
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On April 19, 1917, Governor
Albert SleeperAlbert Edson Sleeper was an American politician and served as the 29th Governor of Michigan from 1917 to 1921.-Early life in Vermont and Michigan:...
created the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force, (also known as the Michigan State Constabulary). With Colonel Roy C. Vandercook as the first commanding officer, this new force consisted of five Troops of mounted, dismounted and motorized units, totaling 300 men. On March 26, 1919, Public Act 26 reorganized the Constabulary as the permanent, peace-time Michigan State Police.
Throughout the history of the department, its members have participated in many important events. Some of the earliest duties of the department involved its troopers being dispatched on horseback to the iron-rich regions of the state's
Upper PeninsulaThe Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
to guarantee the mining and distribution of the vital ore. In the mid-1970s
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Governor
William G. MillikenWilliam Grawn Milliken , is an American politician and served as the 44th Governor of Michigan from January 1969 to January 1983.-Biography:...
gave the Michigan State Police a permanent presence on Detroit area freeways which culminated in the opening of the Detroit Freeway post in Downtown Detroit. This action was taken after a rash of crimes on the Detroit area freeway system and local law enforcement had limited resources in doing expressway patrols on a regular basis. MSP troopers were deployed in Benton Harbor in the summer of 2003 to quell civil unrest that was occurring within that city. Troopers were also deployed to Louisiana in September 2005 following
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
to assist local authorities with search and rescue, law enforcement, and humanitarian efforts in the devastated city of
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. In January and February 2006, the Michigan State Police deployed several hundred Troopers to
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
during
Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
and worked with local and federal agencies to ensure a safe environment for the game and its related festivities. The summer of 2007 saw a major mobilization of departmental resources for the National Governors' Conference in Traverse City. The state police were also requested to assist local police agencies with patrol support in the cities of Flint and Saginaw; a similar request was made in February 2008 by the city of Pontiac after budget difficulties forced the cash-strapped city to layoff many police officers. In 2009, the number of Michigan State Troopers was being reduced to just over 1,000 because of budget cuts from the over 1,800 Trooper level of 2005.
2011 Redistricting
On October 1, 2011, in an effort to achieve its $17.7 million general fund reduction for fiscal year 2012, the department's districts were realigned and the number of posts was reduced from 62 to 29. In total, 18 posts were converted to detachments (private auxiliary offices for other posts) and 14 posts were closed; however, no MSP employees were laid off.
Duties
Troopers with the Michigan State Police are entrusted with the authority to conduct investigations concerning violations of criminal and traffic statutes throughout the state, regardless of city, township, or county boundaries.
Divisions
The MSP consists of three bureaus encompassing many different divisions:
The
Field Services Bureau consists of two regions that include seven districts encompassing sixty-three posts, seven detachments, and eight resident trooper concepts. Also included in the bureau are the Criminal Investigation Division, Intelligence Section, Special Operations Division, and the Traffic Safety Division. The Traffic Safety Division is responsible for the enforcement of laws and regulations pertaining to commercial motor vehicles. The Special Operations Division includes support services such as the Aviation Unit, Canine Unit, Underwater Recovery Unit, and the Emergency Support Team. Of all the department's Bureaus, it is the personnel of the Field Services Bureau that citizens most often encounter.
The
Administrative Services Bureau consists of the Training Division and the Criminal Justice Information Center, as well as other internal support functions for the department.
Key among the divisions in the
State Services Bureau consists is the Forensic Science Division, which is composed of seven laboratories. State-of-the-art forensic laboratory services, including crime scene and 'post-blast' investigations, drug analysis, document examination, polygraph testing, latent print examination, AFIS, DNA analysis, toxicology analysis, blood/alcohol analysis, firearms and toolmark examination, arson evidence analysis, and serology and trace evidence analysis are provided to all Michigan law enforcement agencies at no cost.
The
Executive Division exists to provide administrative support to the Director by providing information for executive-level decision making, supporting agency-wide strategic planning, representing the Director outside the agency, developing and disseminating department policy, formulating agency positions on public policy issues, media relations, and ensuring high standards of organizational effectiveness and individual professionalism. The executive division also contains the Governor's Security Detail.
Patrol vehicles
Vehicle types
The familiar blue MSP Patrol Car is referred to as "the blue goose" by members of the department. As of 2009, the department's fleet consists of primarily Ford
Crown Victoria Police InterceptorsThough the name has been officially in use since 1992, the 1978–1991 full-size LTDs and LTD Crown Victorias and 1992 updated body style used the "P72" production code designation for both fleet/taxi and police models, with the model itself being internally classified as S...
. However, the MSP has begun adding
DodgeDodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
ChargerThe Dodge Charger LX is a rear-wheel drive four-door automobile introduced in February 2005. Built by Chrysler for its North American Dodge brand, the car was created to continue the Dodge Charger line, and replaced the Dodge Intrepid as Dodge's full-size sedan...
patrol vehicles to its fleet (10 for the 2006 fiscal year). The department also utilizes the
ChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Tahoe Special Service VehicleThe Chevrolet Tahoe are full-size SUVs from General Motors. Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their Blazer/Jimmy model names through the early 1990s. This situation changed when GMC rebadged the full-size Jimmy as the Yukon in 1992...
for canine and motor carrier use. Several other varieties of vehicles, including
Chevrolet SuburbanChevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
s and
ImpalasThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
, are used by the department's specialized divisions. MSP also deploys troopers on Harley Davidson motorcycles. Michigan State Police choose their vehicles using a weighted formula and results from their annual vehicle evaluation tests.
Paint color and marking styles
The distinctive blue paint color used on Michigan State Police vehicles is one of the few law enforcement vehicle special order (VSO) colors that manufacturers add to their color palette specifically for an agency. Per Michigan State Police specifications, the color is the "same as Dulux 93-032" (and which may be identified by other color designations or codes depending on whether Ford, GM, or Chrysler produced the vehicle to which the paint is applied). MSP is fairly unique in its use of both the blue paint of the patrol cars and the red hue of the rotating overhead light as basic livery; the department has used the blue paint scheme and the current door decals since 1956. The MSP also utilizes "slick top" patrol units for traffic enforcement. There are two types of traffic cars: the traditional blue patrol car sans the traditional "gumball" light, and a semi-marked variety that is painted in colors other than blue and marked only on the passenger side. Available in tan, red, white, silver, and black, these units also use hidden LED lights to increase their effectiveness and have been extremely successful. Michigan state law requires that police vehicles be marked at least on the passenger side; a law that dates back to the days of the "side stop." MSP Motor Carrier Enforcement officers who enforce truck safety drive vehicles nearly identical to regular MSP patrol vehicles, except that they have a lighter, sky blue paint color. (As of approximately 2008, MSP has changed the vehicles to have the same paint scheme as a regular State Police vehicle, with the exception of the words "Commercial Vehicle Enforcement" on the rear quarterpanels, usually under the window of a Chevy Tahoe or similar vehicle.
Unique lighting
Fully marked patrol vehicles feature a single red overhead light, the RV-25 or RV-26 "Spitfire" made by Unity Manufacturing that rotates when activated; however, in late 2009, MSP announced that these are being retrofitted with red
LEDLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lamps rather than incandescent beams to reduce the hassle and expense of replacing the PAR 36 or PAR 46, 60,000 CP sealed beam bulbs and servicing the rotor motors. Red lenses on some MSP vehicle roof beacons have one or two clear horizontal stripes that allow some untinted white light to shine through, and this gives the lamps a pinkish glow at long distances. Michigan State Police have continued to use the "gumball" style lights instead of lightbars as they are unique, reduce wind drag, and are highly visible at long distances, as well as for tradition. MSP vehicles also feature a clear plastic sign, referred to as a "hood light" or "hailer" or "shark fin" on the hood that lights up when activated. The historical use of this hood light dates from the time when a "side stop" patrol stop would be initiated by pulling up next to an offender and the Trooper would motion them to pull over in daylight; at night the hood light was illuminated displaying the words "State Police" and "STOP" (MSP no longer use the "side stop"). Patrol units also use red and blue LEDs facing to the rear of the vehicle, as well as headlight and tail light flashers. Both the rotating overhead light and the shark fin have traditionally been synonymous with the MSP. The rotating red light has been used by the MSP since 1960 and the current style red overhead light has been in use by the agency since 1979. The red overhead lights on some MSP cars are 20–25 years old.
Vehicle testing
Michigan State Police is one of only two agencies in North America (the other being the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) that conduct annual tests of police and special services vehicles. MSP typically conducts their top speed and braking tests each fall at Chrysler Proving Grounds in
Chelsea, MichiganChelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a village....
and vehicle dynamics and handling tests on the road course at Grattan Raceway in
Grattan Township, MichiganGrattan Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,551.Grattan is an unincorporated community within the township.-Geography:...
. Tests are open to members of the law enforcement community, fleet managers, and other interested parties, and results are published for the benefit of the law enforcement community. Many of the specifications and option offerings for Chrysler, Ford, GM police vehicles are a result of findings and suggestions stemming from MSP evaluations. Annual test results are published at the
MSP Website
Aviation Unit
The five aircraft in the
Michigan State Police Aviation Unit are assigned several duties:
- search and rescue
- relays
- traffic enforcement
- traffic control
- security
- training
- investigative and administrative flights
Mobile Command Vehicle
The Michigan State Police operates one
Mobile Command Vehicle as of 2006. The 37 feet (11.3 m) vehicle has an
InternationalNavistar International Corporation is a United States-based holding company that owns the manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC Bus school and commercial buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans, and is a private label...
chassis and engine and weighs 25500 pounds (11,566.6 kg). It is equipped with
GPSThe Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
, satellite television, a diesel electric generator, and a lavatory. The vehicle is also equipped with a variety of radio systems that allow those operating it to communicate effectively in the field. The vehicle was utilized during
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
relief in September 2005 and is also frequently used at large events throughout the state.
Miscellaneous information
- The department's value statement is: A PROUD tradition of SERVICE through EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY, and COURTESY. The department requires that the emphasized words be shown in capitalized print when the statement is reproduced in any fashion.
- The department's work sites are called "Posts," much as a local police department's offices are referred to as "stations." Many MSP posts are similarly designed and feature a distinctive two-story architectural style with a front door centered above exterior steps to the first level and a sandstone center section engraved with the state seal and the words "Michigan State Police". Many of these buildings were built in the 1930s in the years following The Great Depression just before World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- To date, 50 Michigan State Police officers have died in the line of duty.
- As of January 2011, the Director of the MSP is Colonel Kriste Kibbey Etue. She was appointed to the position of Director by Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Rick Snyder and was preceded by Eddie L. Washington Jr.. Col. Etue is the first woman director of the Michigan State Police.
- Recruits must complete an intensive twenty-week training academy prior to being confirmed as a Trooper. The militaristic, residential school is held at the MSP Training Academy in Lansing, MI.
- Authored by Inspector Phillip D. Schertzing, "Preserve, Protect, and Defend: An Illustrated History" (ISBN 1563116049) is a 416 page book that covers MSP history from 1917 until the present day.
- The State Police Budget for 2009-2010 fiscal year is US$527.3 million, an increase of 5.5 million from the previous year.
Department rank structure
The MSP uses a paramilitary ranking system, as follows (from highest to lowest rankings):
| Title |
Insignia |
ColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
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| Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
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| Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
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| Captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
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InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
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First LieutenantFirst lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
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| Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
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SergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
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TrooperTrooper is a rank used by several civilian police forces in the United States. In its plural form, troopers, it generally refers to members of state highway patrol or state police agencies, even though those officers may not necessarily be of the rank of trooper.For example, in the Louisiana State...
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Demographics
The demographics of the Michigan State Police force:
- White: 84%
- African-American/Black: 11%
- Hispanic: 3%
- Native American: 2%
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Michigan
- State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
- State patrol
- Highway patrol
A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
External links