Lansing, MI - Michigan communities will soon benefit from the addition of 50 state troopers who graduated this afternoon from the 140th Trooper Recruit School.
During the ceremony in Lansing, in which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was the keynote speaker, Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police (MSP), administered the Oath of Office to 50 individuals who begin their assignments at MSP posts across the state next week.
“I’m so proud of the 50 graduates who join the ranks of the Michigan State Police today,” said Governor Whitmer. “Public service is a noble calling and one with great responsibility. Every family in every community wants peace of mind that so they can go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely. As a former prosecutor, public safety is a core issue for me and I will keep working with the MSP to reduce crime and keep families safe.”
The 140th Trooper Recruit School began on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, with 74 prospective troopers, at the MSP Training Academy in Lansing. Recruits received training in patrol techniques, report writing, ethics, cultural diversity and implicit bias, decision making, leadership, first aid, criminal law, crime scene processing, firearms, water safety, defensive tactics and precision driving.
Tpr. Blaine Borman was elected Class Orator by his fellow recruits and spoke on behalf of the graduating class at their ceremony. Also recognized during the ceremony was Tpr. Justin Sawyer who received the Team Building and Academic Achievement awards, Tpr. Jacob Jurden who received the Outstanding Performance Award and Tpr. Tanner Nickel who received the Marksmanship Award.
“Today is an exciting day for the Michigan State Police and our 50 new troopers,” said Gasper. “We are looking to them to continue our tradition of delivering the best in public safety and community services. Some days will be difficult, but the work you will do will be fulfilling and rewarding.”
Including the 50 graduates of the 140th Trooper Recruit School, there are approximately 1,200 troopers assigned statewide, and a total of 1,900 enlisted members in the MSP.
The next recruit school, the 141st Trooper Recruit School, which is the department’s first recruit school for licensed police officers, is anticipated to begin on March 6, 2022, at the MSP Training Academy in Lansing. They are expected to graduate on May 27, 2022.
With hundreds of trooper vacancies due to continued attrition, the MSP is actively recruiting for future trooper recruit schools, including 142nd Trooper Recruit School. Persons interested in learning more should visit www.michigan.gov/MSPjobs for information on how to apply.