The Michigan State Police (MSP) is the law enforcement group for the U.S. state of Michigan. The MSP is a full-service law enforcement agency, with its officers having full police powers throughout the state.
The department was created in 1917 as a wartime group (originally named the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force) and later became the modern agency it is today. New members of the department are called "Recruits," and they earn the title "Trooper" after completing training. The main office of the department is located in Dimondale, Michigan.
History
The Michigan Department of State Police was first created as a temporary force during wartime to help protect the state's safety during World War I. On April 19, 1917, Governor Albert Sleeper established the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force, also called the Michigan State Constabulary. Colonel Roy C. Vandercook was the first leader of this new group, which had five units with 300 members total, including mounted, dismounted, and motorized teams. When Michigan banned alcohol in May 1918, and Ohio allowed it, the force was sent to Monroe County in 1918 to stop alcohol smuggling. On March 26, 1919, Public Act 26 changed the Constabulary into the permanent, peacetime Michigan State Police.
Over time, the department has been involved in many important events. Early duties included breaking up strikes, with troopers riding horses to the iron-rich areas of the Upper Peninsula to ensure mining and transportation of ore by stopping labor organizing efforts.
In 1919, Captain Ira H. Marmon started the Bureau of Investigation and Identification at the East Lansing Headquarters. He used an old shoebox of fingerprint records that he had kept under his cot next to his desk.
In the mid-1970s, Governor William Milliken gave the Michigan State Police a permanent role on Detroit area freeways. This led to the opening of the Detroit Freeway post in Downtown Detroit after a rise in crimes on the freeways and limited resources for regular patrols. In 2003, troopers were sent to Benton Harbor to help control civil unrest there.
Troopers also helped in Louisiana in September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina by assisting with search and rescue, law enforcement, and aid efforts in New Orleans. In January and February 2006, hundreds of troopers were deployed to Detroit for Super Bowl XL to work with local and federal agencies to ensure safety.
In 1987 and 2007, the department mobilized large numbers of troopers for the National Governors' Conference in Traverse City. The state police also helped local agencies in Flint, Saginaw, and Pontiac with patrol support when budget issues forced those cities to reduce police staffing.
In 2017, the Michigan State Police changed from the garrison-style cap to a navy blue straw "Smokey" campaign hat as part of their uniform. In July 2018, the department returned to the garrison-style cap after most troopers voted to do so.
On October 1, 2011, the department realigned its districts to reduce its general fund costs by $17.7 million for fiscal year 2012. The number of posts was reduced from 62 to 29, with 18 posts becoming detachments and 14 posts closing, but no employees were laid off. In December 2016, the Metro South post reopened in Taylor, a suburb of Detroit, increasing the number of posts to 30. In 2023, the Traverse City post reopened, bringing the total number of posts to 31.
Duties
Michigan State Police troopers are responsible for looking into cases where people break criminal or traffic laws across the entire state. They also respond to emergency calls no matter where they occur, whether in a city, township, or county.
Department overview
The Michigan State Police (MSP) is an agency that helps with many law enforcement tasks. It has about 3,000 employees who offer over 60 services to people in Michigan or to other law enforcement groups. The most visible members of the MSP are the uniformed troopers in the Field Services Bureau. Their main jobs include investigating crimes, stopping crime, catching criminals, enforcing traffic laws to improve safety, and working with communities to prevent crime. The MSP also has detectives who investigate serious crimes like homicides, fraud, and computer crimes.
The MSP has special teams trained for specific tasks. These teams include the Bomb Squad, Canine Unit, Marine Services Team, Aviation Unit, Emergency Support Team, Motor Unit, and Tactical Bike Team. These groups help the MSP or other agencies during emergencies or difficult situations. The MSP also leads more than 20 teams that work across different areas, such as fighting drug crimes, stopping car theft, and solving cold cases. Motor carrier officers in the MSP check the safety of commercial vehicles and trucks across the state.
The MSP provides 24-hour forensic science services through seven regional laboratories. These labs follow the same quality standards as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and are approved by a national standards group. The MSP keeps records about crimes, such as criminal histories, traffic crashes, firearms, and missing persons. It uses public records and a system called the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) to share this information with other agencies. The MSP also prepares an annual report on crime in Michigan using data from the Michigan Incident Crime Reporting system.
The director of the Michigan State Police is the state’s Homeland Security Advisor. This person is responsible for protecting people, important buildings, and resources in Michigan during emergencies or disasters. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), managed by the MSP, helps coordinate state responses during crises. The SEOC includes staff from government agencies, nonprofits, and private businesses. The governor is updated about emergency efforts through the SEOC.
The MSP helps local governments prepare for disasters and connects state and federal resources to assist communities during emergencies. It also manages all state homeland security programs and handles federal grant money for security efforts.
The MSP Training Academy in Dimondale offers training for MSP employees and others in law enforcement. Classes include leadership, drug investigations, driving skills, first aid, and Michigan law. The MSP’s Precision Driving Unit is known worldwide for testing police vehicles.
Other groups within the MSP include the Auto Theft Prevention Authority, the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Patrol vehicles
Michigan State Police (MSP) patrol cars have a unique design compared to other police agencies in the United States. These vehicles are painted bright blue, have the agency’s seal on the front doors, and include one large red light on the roof. This design was once common among U.S. police agencies but is now mostly used by the MSP. Officers often refer to these cars as "blue geese."
The MSP also uses "slicktop" vehicles for traffic enforcement. These vehicles do not have the large red light. Some are painted blue, while others are painted in different colors.
Most of the MSP’s current patrol vehicles include the Dodge Charger, the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, the Chevrolet Tahoe, and the Dodge Durango. Officers also use Harley Davidson and BMW R1200RT-P motorcycles. Other vehicles, such as Chevrolet Suburbans and Impalas, are used by specialized divisions within the department.
The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was once a main vehicle for the MSP but was retired in the 2010s.
The bright blue color used on MSP vehicles is one of the few colors added by manufacturers specifically for a police agency. The MSP specifies this color as Dulux 93-032, though automakers use different names for it internally.
In 2017, the MSP purchased 50 patrol cars painted in black and gold to celebrate the department’s 100th anniversary.
Vehicles used by the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) look like standard State Police vehicles but have the words "Commercial Vehicle Enforcement" printed below the rear window. Before 2008, these vehicles had special seals and other markings related to motor carrier enforcement.
The rotating red light on MSP vehicles has been used since the 1950s. The current style of red overhead light has been used since 1979. Most marked patrol cars use the RV-26 or RV-46 "Spitfire" lights made by Unity. In 2023, the MSP announced a new type of rotating red light called a "gumball light" made by Sound Off Signals Manufacturing. In 2009, the MSP began replacing the old red lights with LED lamps to reduce costs and maintenance. Some red lights have clear horizontal stripes that allow white light to pass through, making the lights appear pink from a distance. The MSP continues to use gumball lights instead of lightbars, claiming they are unique, reduce wind resistance, and are highly visible.
Patrol units also have flashing red and blue lights on their rear bumpers, front push bumpers, side mirrors, and on their headlights and tail lights.
Most MSP vehicles have a clear plastic sign on their hoods with the words "State Police" and "stop." This sign, sometimes called a "hood light" or "shark fin," was once used to signal drivers to pull over during traffic stops. The MSP no longer uses this method but keeps the sign on vehicles for tradition.
Since 1975, the MSP has tested police vehicles from the U.S. market each year. Results of these tests are published on the agency’s website and often influence the choices of other law enforcement agencies. Automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis also use these findings to improve their police vehicles.
Tests for speed, braking, and vehicle handling are held each fall at the Chrysler Proving Grounds near Chelsea, Michigan. Additional tests for vehicle dynamics and handling take place two days later at Grattan Raceway in Grattan Township. These events are open to law enforcement officers, fleet managers, and others interested in vehicle performance.
The MSP is one of only two U.S. police departments (the other is the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department) that conduct these detailed vehicle tests.
The Michigan State Police Aviation Unit has five aircraft that perform several duties, including:
– search and rescue
– relays
– traffic enforcement
– traffic control
– security
– training
– investigative and administrative flights
As of 2006, the MSP operates one Mobile Command Vehicle. This 37-foot-long (11 meters) vehicle has an International chassis and engine and weighs 25,500 pounds (11,600 kilograms). It is equipped with GPS, satellite television, a diesel electric generator, and a lavatory. It also has multiple radio systems to help operators communicate while on duty. The vehicle was used during Hurricane Katrina relief in September 2005 and is often used at large events in Michigan.
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 format.
The department's work sites are called "Posts," similar to how a local police department's offices are referred to as "stations." Many Michigan State Police posts are designed in a similar way and have a two-story building style. These buildings have a front door centered above steps leading to the first level. A sandstone section in the middle of the building is engraved with the state seal and the words "Michigan State Police." Many of these buildings were constructed in the 1930s, during the years after The Great Depression but before World War II.
To date, 56 Michigan State Police officers have died in the line of duty. The most recent officer, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, was Trooper/Motor Carrier Officer Daniel Kerstetter. On September 13, 2024, he was performing a routine traffic stop and inspection of a semi-truck on northbound Interstate 75 near Lincoln Park, Detroit. Michigan state law requires heavy commercial vehicles to stay in the right two lanes of highways, and the left lane is not allowed for them. A female driver had collapsed at the wheel of her white SUV due to a seizure and swerved into the highway. Her vehicle bounced off a barrier on the right shoulder and then crashed into the back of Kerstetter's patrol SUV, which was behind a semi-truck he was inspecting.
After the crash, officers from the Lincoln Park and Southgate Police Departments, Kerstetter's supervisor, MSP MCO Sergeant Ramsden, and other MSP troopers, officers, and sheriff's deputies, along with Good Samaritans who helped at the scene, waited for emergency services. Firefighters and private EMS teams arrived to assist Kerstetter and the driver who had a seizure. Kerstetter's body was removed from his damaged vehicle using the Jaws of Life and transported by ambulance with police escort. The Detroit Police Department secured intersections along the route to the hospital. Kerstetter was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was placed on life support for two days. His family later requested that his organs be donated, and he was taken off life support. Kerstetter had been on the force for nearly two years before his death. The driver who had the seizure also died in the collision.
As of January 2024, the Director of the Michigan State Police is Colonel James Grady II. He was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and replaced Colonel Joe Gasper.
Recruits must complete a 26-week training program before becoming confirmed troopers. The training is held at the Michigan State Police Training Academy in Lansing, Michigan. It is a residential school with a strict, military-style structure.
Troopers are given a 9mm Glock 17 Gen 5 pistol as their primary weapon and a 9mm Glock 26 Gen 5 pistol as a backup. They also receive an Axon Taser 10 as a non-lethal tool. Troopers carry FN-15 rifles and Beretta semi-automatic 12-gauge shotguns for additional support.
The Michigan State Police budget for the 2009–2010 fiscal year was $527.3 million, an increase of $5.5 million from the previous year. For the 2018–2019 fiscal year, the budget was $738.1 million. For the 2020–2021 fiscal year, the governor proposed a budget of $735.6 million.
Demographics
As of March 2015, the following information shows the breakdown of the Michigan State Police force:
- Male: 68%
- Female: 31%
- White: 73.9%
- African-American/Black: 10.4%
- Hispanic: 7.0%
- Native American: 2%
- Asian: 5.2%
- Unknown: 3.5%