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July 2022
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MSP Hires 10 Cadets

Cadets

Did you know the MSP has a paid cadet program for those looking for experience prior to assuming the role of a sworn police officer? On Friday, July 1, ten new cadets completed training, bringing the total number of cadets statewide to 13.

Michigan State Police cadets perform a variety of law enforcement-related tasks to assist state police personnel in office and post activities, serving as a pipeline for individuals too young to apply to recruit school.?

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a cadet, position vacancies, when available, will be posted here. [ [link removed]? ]


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MACP Awards Trooper with Medal of Valor and Purple Heart

MACP Award

On June 28, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police awarded Tpr. Jason DeVries of the MSP Niles Post the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart awards for his heroic actions during a critical incident.

On October 6, 2021, Trooper DeVries conducted a traffic stop and placed the driver into custody for driving without an operator?s license. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, Trooper DeVries asked the passenger to exit the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the passenger resisted attempts by Trooper DeVries to control his movements and retrieved a firearm from his waistband. Trooper DeVries was able to deflect the firearm as the passenger was beginning to aim it at him. The passenger fired one round that hit Trooper DeVries in the upper thigh.

After being shot, Trooper DeVries and the passenger fell to the ground in a struggle. Trooper DeVries was able to retrieve his firearm and return fire, striking the suspect twice. Due to Trooper DeVries? injury, he was not able to distance himself from the suspect who was still alive and armed.

Trooper DeVries used his prep radio to call for help. Arriving troopers disarmed the suspect and rendered first aid to Trooper DeVries. The courageous and heroic actions demonstrated by Trooper DeVries undoubtedly saved lives, including his own.


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State Police Dispatcher Signs Off After 29 Years Working ?Hard Gig?
Keeler

The average span of an emergency dispatcher?s career is only 3 - 5 years.? Carol Keeler retires on Thursday, June 30, with 29 years served with the Michigan State Police and another five with a different agency.

The job she has performed for over three decades is critical to public safety. A dispatcher is literally THE lifeline for police officers and citizens, during some calls.

?If you asked me five years ago if I thought I had saved lives? The answer was no,? said Keeler. ?Looking back now, I realize I have. I?ve talked down suicidal men and women, explained CPR over the phone, and been able to get helpful resources to people. I feel like I have done good.?

Keeler could not have predicted this was going to be her career. She began with the MSP at the Detroit Regional Communication Center and has been working at the Lansing Regional Communication Center for her final few years.

?I blame my brother,? she joked. ?I only interviewed to get him off my back. I was living at home, and I needed a job.?

Things have a way of working out. Keeler will tell you she hasn?t made dispatching her identity as some people do and for her that?s been the key to enjoying life despite the tough days, which are filled with headsets, computer screens and telephones. She is a great communicator and even better listener ? two skills you must embody to make it past day one.

?Carol has managed to navigate the physical, mental and emotional challenges of an ever-changing profession for a long time and that is worthy of celebration,? said Jon Whitford, Regional Communication Centers Unit Manager. ?To remain in a profession seven times beyond the national average burnout time is nothing short of remarkable.?

The tough days, like the first time Keeler handled a call involving a dead child, are thankfully becoming harder to recall as she prepares to sign off for the last time.

?My fellow dispatchers saved me on more than one occasion because you can vent to them. Sometimes we played games together,? she said. ?Years ago, we played Hacky Sack and the ball got stuck inside someone?s glasses. She left it there. It took our sergeant hours to notice it. We laughed until we cried.?

She described some of the funny questions she?s received while answering 911 calls, including a caller who wanted to know if Iowa was closed and countless families dialing 911 on holidays before the internet was popular to settle debates.

?So many people would get into disagreements at the dinner table about the name of someone or something like Michigan?s state bird. They assumed we had all the answers about everything.?

The question Keeler, now 60, gets most often is ?what?s next??

?I haven?t even thought that far in advance,? she said. ?But the idea of not working is odd to me so we?ll see what happens.?

For those wondering if a career in dispatching is for them, Keeler offers this advice ? be patient with yourself. It is an awesome opportunity if you approach it as such. You are making an impact on lives and developing skills that will carry you as far as you let them.

?Look for guidance and ask for help. If I can do it, so can you.?

Whitford added, ?Like other areas of law enforcement, we?re having a difficult time recruiting and retaining employees. I can tell you from experience, this is a rewarding career personally and professionally. At the heart of it, we are listening and talking to people and hopefully helping them through something.?

For more information about the application and hiring process for emergency dispatchers, send an email to [email protected].

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Beware of Credit Card Skimmers

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is urging to Michiganders to watch out for credit card skimmers at gas pumps. Criminals place credit card skimmers on gas pumps to steal users? credit card information.

To lessen your chance of becoming victim of a credit card skimmer, follow these tips:


* If you observe something at a gas pump that doesn?t look right, notify the store clerk and pay inside.
* Skimmers are often found on the outer pumps that are the furthest from the view of the cashier; when possible, try to use pumps closer to the store.
* Monitor your bank account and credit card statement regularly to look for unauthorized charges. If you notice fraudulent charges, contact your card issuer or bank as soon as possible.

Watch this video [ [link removed] ] from MDARD to learn more.

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MSP Translator and Interpreter Program Bridges a Gap

Mahaffie [ [link removed] ]

A communication barrier can make an already tense or stressful situation worse. Being able to speak someone?s native language provides comfort and, in some instances, helps to reduce conflict.

?I never thought I?d use my Dutch skills on the job,? said Sgt. Ben Mahaffie, who is assigned to the Paw Paw Post. ?The Mt. Pleasant Post interviewed a man from South Africa whose original language is Afrikaans, a derivative of Dutch. He spoke English but working with me to clarify some points, and interpret his prayers, put him at ease after being involved in a traumatic experience.?

Sergeant Mahaffie, who learned the language while living in the Netherlands as a child, again used his language skills the week after during a traffic stop.

?The people in the vehicle were shocked when I started speaking Dutch,? he said. ?I speak Spanish too, which I learned because of my job. When I worked at another police agency, there was a large fight and I was frustrated because I couldn?t understand what people were saying.?

Sergeant Mahaffie and nearly 30 of his colleagues make up the Michigan State Police Translator & Interpreter Program, which was established in 2020 to provide language translation and interpreter services to department members and other law enforcement agencies.

?We?ve always done this unofficially,? said D/F/Lt. Chuck Christensen, commander of the Fifth District Special Investigation Section. D/F/Lieutenant Christensen, who himself is fluent in Spanish, serves as the program?s coordinator.

?Michigan is diverse, and we saw an opportunity to create a structured initiative to better utilize our people who have existing backgrounds in various language skills,? continued D/F/Lt. Christensen. ?We have members who speak Arabic, Polish, Hindi ? the list goes on. They amaze me.?

In its first year, the 25-member team, who speak 18 languages, was called upon approximately 60 times. A little more than halfway into 2022, they?ve assisted in 55 calls for service. The range of what they do is impressive ? supporting victims, interviewing suspects, translating text for department members, performing outreach at community events ? the asks even surprise them sometimes.

Team members are accessible 24/7 throughout the entire state, in-person or by phone.

Tpr. Juliana Arnold, assigned to the Manistique Outpost, rarely uses her Spanish speaking skills in her immediate post area but remains one of the most referred translator/interpreters in the department.

?Spanish is my first language; I spoke it solely until I was five years old,? Trooper Arnold said. ?Recently, a fire captain in Monroe County reached out because they needed a Spanish speaker to talk with some people who were involved in a traffic crash. I got on the phone and explained what they should do and what to expect next. It was only a few minutes, but I understood what they were asking, and I was able to assist them.?

She later received a handwritten thank you note from the fire captain indicating she made a difficult situation manageable.

?The biggest takeaway from the program is the importance of the ability to be understood,? said Sergeant Mahaffie. ?You may not be able to appreciate this until you?ve been put in a situation where you don?t understand what?s happening and how uncomfortable that is. We can put people at ease. We want to make people feel comfortable coming to us.?

Additional information about the program and a list of language skills offered can be found here [ [link removed] ]. State Police translator and interpreter services are available by request to any law enforcement agency in Michigan.


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You?re Invited to MSP Safety Day

Join us for our second annual ?MSP Safety Day? on Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MSP Headquarters, located at 7150 Harris Dr., Dimondale, MI 48821.

This free, family-friendly event will have more than 20 safety stations, including representatives from:


* MSP Child and Vulnerable Adult Identification station
* MSP's Angel Program
* Office of School Safety
* OK2SAY
* Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

Please note this is an outdoor event. In the event of inclement weather, MSP Safety Day will be moved to Wednesday, August 10.

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Leave With a Smile
Bike With a Cop

On June 10, the MSP?s Fifth District Crime Prevention Squad attended a ?Bike With a Cop? event at the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor. Troopers mingled with elementary students and assisted with a raffle before leading a group of young bikers through Benton Harbor.

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In Your Community

We'll be at a community event near you soon!

*July 23: *MSP Flint Post Open House [ [link removed] ], 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

*July 25:* MSP recruiters at Veteran?s Coalition Car Show [ [link removed] ], [ [link removed] ] 3:30 p.m., Traverse City

*Aug. 3 - Sept. 21:* MSP Cadillac Post's Citizens' Academy [ [link removed] ], 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Join Us!
recruiting [ www.michigan.gov/mspjobs ]

Choose a career in public service; learn more at www.mi.gov/mspjobs [ [link removed] ].

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Keep Michigan Safe

michtip [ www.michigan.gov/michtip ]

If you see something suspicious and it?s an emergency, immediately call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, suspicious activity can be reported to the MSP Michigan Intelligence Operations Center by phone at 1-855-MICH-TIP (855-642-4847) or online at michigan.gov/michtip [ [link removed] ], or via our mobile app [ [link removed] ].

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Contact Us
epps [ www.michigan.gov/mspposts ]

Find your nearest MSP post at www.mi.gov/mspposts.

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Download MSP Mobile

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MSP Mobile, a free mobile app, allows users to follow the MSP post that covers their area to receive breaking news and information.

apple [ [link removed] ]

google [ [link removed] ]
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Stop the Silence. Help End the Violence.
ok2say

Do you have a tip on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools? Report tips confidentially today at OK2SAY.com [ [link removed] ].




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