Over half of mass attackers talk about their intent to commit violence. When you recognize the warning signs and take action to report suspicious behavior, you can help Stop A Plot.

Risk factors that may indicate someone is on the pathway to violence include:

• Prior criminal involvement
• Domestic violence
• Mental health concerns
• Substance abuse
• Radicalization
• Not feeling or being accepted in groups
• Stressors like money or relationship problems

If you have information that could prevent an act of violence, Stop A Plot. Speak up. Tips can be reported online or by calling 1-800-MICHTIP at any time. Reporting a tip is safe and confidential.?

Criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools can be reported using OK2SAY.

Last month, several of our members were recognized for excellence by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) for going above and beyond the call of duty and by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for their diligent work to make a difference in the area of education, prevention, policy or enforcement that reduced impaired driving deaths and injuries.

On June 18, the following members received the MACP Medal of Honor, which is awarded to officers who voluntarily distinguish themselves by extraordinary heroism and is the highest award bestowed by the MACP:

• Sgt. Rob Bilacic, Ret., Sgt. Michael Thomas, Tpr. Maxwell Prince, and Tpr. Blaine Stormer with the MSP Emergency Support Team were awarded for their response to a high-risk search warrant for a known felon on March 10, 2023. As part of this incident, Sergeant Thomas and Trooper Prince also received the MACP Purple Heart, which is presented to officers who suffer serious traumatic injury as the direct result of a felonious assault.
• D/Tpr. Brent Haag, Tpr. Blake Ellsworth, and Tpr. Tom Pinkerton were awarded for their actions in a high-risk rolling vehicle takedown of a wanted homicide suspect.
• Tpr. Ryan Akers, Tpr. Carson Crook, Tpr. Jared Knudsen, and Tpr. Sean Park were awarded for their response to a lengthy pursuit with multiple county and local police departments that ended in an exchange of gunfire on August 14, 2023.

Additionally, the MACP Police Cross was posthumously awarded to Tpr. Joel Popp, who was killed in the line of duty on January 24, 2024. Col. James F Grady II and Sgt. Ryan Hare with the Tri-City Post accepted the award on behalf of the Popp family.

On June 21, the following members were recognized at the MADD Award Ceremony in Mount Pleasant:

Outstanding Rookie

• Tpr. Tyler Busch with the Wakefield Post was recognized for his impaired driving enforcement efforts during his first year on the road, including 13 OWI/OUID arrests, three violations of controlled substance arrests, 12 fugitive arrests, and 24 vehicle violation (suspended, no ops, etc.) arrests in 2023.

Outstanding Trooper

• Sgt. Stephen James with the Metro North Post was recognized for his impaired driving enforcement efforts, including 75 arrests for drunk/drugged driving in 2023.
• Tpr. Blaine Borman with the Negaunee Post was recognized for his impaired driving enforcement efforts, including 60 arrests for OWI/OUID, including seven for felony OWI/OUID activity in 2023. Trooper Borman also issued 158 citations and gave 694 verbal warnings.
• Tpr. Samantha Hill with the Monroe Post was recognized for her impaired driving enforcement efforts, including 41 arrests for OWI and 13 arrests for open intoxicants in a motor vehicle in 2023.

Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency

• The Third District Impaired Driving Action Team (IMPACT) was recognized for their efforts in arresting 418 OWI drivers and 62 OUID drivers, resulting in a total of 480 arrests in 2023. The team also completed 19 DRE evaluations.? IMPACT members included Sgt. Ken Campbell, Tpr. Blake Bitner, Tpr. Corbin Holt, Tpr. Todd Kovaluk, Tpr. Dennis Lapan, and Tpr. Abbie Ziesman.

Recognition of Excellence

• Sgt. Jim Janes with the Organizational Development Division was recognized for his expertise as Michigan?s Drug Recognition Expert State Coordinator and Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST)/Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Coordinator. In 2023, Sergeant Janes instructed numerous impaired driving classes to hundreds of officers across Michigan, resulting in over 500 hours of instruction.

Deputy Lewis Tyler Longevity Award

• Lt. Lance Cook was recognized for his dedication to traffic safety, especially in the areas of alcohol and drug enforcement, throughout his 37-year law enforcement career. Lieutenant Cook recently retired from the Special Operations Division, overseeing the Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit.

Congratulations to all and thank you for your commitment to serving Michiganders!

Accreditation is how organizations measure themselves against industry best practices. The process, which uses recognized and established standards, determines where improvements should be made and can also confirm that an organization is serving its customers effectively.

For the first time in the department?s history, the Michigan State Police (MSP) is seeking law enforcement accreditation.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, known as CALEA, is an independent non-profit organization that was created in 1979 by the leading law enforcement executive associations.? The commission establishes standards that are considered foundational for contemporary law enforcement agencies based on best practices that agencies must meet in order to obtain accreditation.

Part of the accreditation process involves soliciting public comment about an agency's compliance with CALEA standards. From now through Sept. 30, Michigan residents are encouraged to provide constructive feedback on the MSP?s quality and delivery of service. Feedback can be submitted direct to CALEA through an online portal.