The holiday season is almost here, and Michigan State Police worksites across the state are getting into the spirit of giving! From collecting coats to filling patrol cars with food and toys, troopers are lending a helping hand to those in need this winter.

Feeling festive? You can make a difference by donating to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Coat Drive, the Fifth District Food Drive or one of several Stuff a Blue Goose events taking place statewide.

Keep an eye on our community calendar for more opportunities to give back as new events are added throughout the season.

Before Spl/Sgt. Jeff Hoyt was a cop, he was a firefighter.

“I chose a career with a Michigan State Police because the department has a dedicated Fire Investigation Unit. That’s where I wanted to be,” said Spl/Sergeant Hoyt, assigned to the Central Michigan area. “I now have eight years in as a fire investigator and can say I’ve experienced the best of both professions.”

His path to becoming a certified fire investigator started with the basics

“For many years, we have led a fire investigation training program not only for our members but also firefighters and police officers from other agencies and civilians like engineers,” said D/F/Lt. Trever Slater, who oversees the MSP’s Fire Investigation Unit. “As tactics and technology evolve, we adjust the program to ensure attendees get the best learning experience possible.”

A revamped version of the Fire Investigation I School begins in 2026. It has been refined to focus more on cohort or group learning and there are four training cycles instead of one, which start in the spring and concludes with a capstone week in August.

“We’ve made the curriculum more complex to benefit new investigators,” said D/F/Lieutenant Slater. “Classroom time is coupled with four offsite visits, two at Consumers Energy’s lineman training facility and Flint Gas City, to submerse students into utility distribution systems for electricity and natural gas.”

Fire investigators work on a variety of fires, both accidental and intentional, to determine where the fire started and how, otherwise known as a fire origin and cause analysis. Their work varies widely from examining residential and commercial structures to vehicles and equipment when there is a fire or explosion.

“The goal in the investigation is to get the scene back to how it was pre-fire – as much as possible,” said Spl/Sergeant Hoyt. “We literally dig to remove debris and reconstruct space layouts working from the least to most charred areas. Our goal is to try to give the property owner or victim’s family an answer as to what occurred.”

In addition to the basic training program, MSP fire investigators go through a four-year training and experience phase before becoming certified, a designation obtained through the International Association of Arson Investigators. 

The MSP Fire Investigation Unit has 10 investigators geographically assigned throughout the state to work cases by county and assist local fire and police departments.

Space is limited for the 89th Fire Investigation I training. Those interested should submit an application by January 16, 2026.

This course is MCOLES and LARA approved.

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.

Sometimes the most helpful investigative resource has paws and an exceptionally strong sense of smell.

“Whether sweeping a building for explosives, digging through a fire scene for accelerants or searching a room for an electronic device, this work would look very different without our canine partners,” said Lt. Ben Schwalm, commander of the Michigan State Police (MSP) Canine Unit. “We hope to get about eight years on the job with each dog and ideally have a replacement canine ready prior to retirement to lessen the impact on our calls for service.”

Seven new detection dogs are going through the eight-to-10-week training process now, of which five are replacements and two are new. In the group are five Labrador Retrievers and two German Shepherds. Most will serve a single purpose, either detecting explosives, accelerants or electronics, with one being trained to use both on patrol and for explosive detection.

“A detection dog is a great change of pace when you’re used to having a canine patrol partner,” said Sgt. Richard Birmingham, assigned to the Canine Unit’s kennels. “You generally know what you’re seeking and in a targeted area. They’re trained to alert us handlers to the presence of the odors with a learned response like sitting.”

Sergeant Birmingham is paired with El, a black lab who is being trained in explosive detection.

“Labs are overall, less alarming than Shepherds so they’re perfect for explosive detection since they need to interact with people,” said Sergeant Birmingham. “We train ours to pick up on static objects in an environment and on items being carried by a person in a bag or on their body in crowded or public places like airports and stadiums.”

Each of the new detection dogs will be on duty starting in mid-November.

“Our canine teams are an incredible resource for the communities we serve,” said Lieutenant Schwalm. “We are always available to assist our local police or fire partners anywhere in Michigan.”

The MSP has 42 canine teams strategically placed throughout the state whose handlers answer calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Collectively, the unit has 63 canines and handles more than 6,100 requests for service annually, making it one of the largest and busiest in the country.

The MSP Canine Unit was established in 1960. The majority of canines are German Shepherds due to the breed's ability to handle the various functions and stress with intelligent problem-solving abilities and a high work drive. The unit provides services in narcotic, firearm, cyber, explosive, accelerant and cadaver detection, as well as the tactical entry dog (TED) program, which provides services to the MSP Emergency Support Team.