Gov. Whitmer announces new director of Michigan State Police
(CBS DETROIT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday that Capt. James Grady is the new director of the Michigan State Police.
Grady succeeds Col. Joe Gasper, who announced his retirement after 25 years with MSP. He will take on the new role effective Sept. 28 and has been promoted to colonel.
He currently serves as commander of MSP's training division, a role that has held since 2020.
"Captain Grady is the right pick to lead the brave men and women of the Michigan State Police," Whitmer said in a statement. "After 25 years, he has earned the respect of troopers across the department and community leaders throughout the state, including in southeast Michigan, where he spent the majority of his service. He has a knack for bringing everyone together to solve problems, and our state is a better place for it. He will do a great job leading our state's top law enforcement agency."
Grady joined MSP as a trooper in 1998. He served the Adrian and Detroit posts and later became a detective and then supervisor.
He was promoted to first lieutenant and section commander of the Fraud Investigation team in 2015 and then the assistant division commander in 2018 with the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.
"It is an incredible honor to continue serving in the Michigan State Police alongside the finest troopers in the nation," Grady said. "I want to thank my partners in leadership at the department. We will continue to make sure that the men and women of MSP have what they need to do their job of protecting Michiganders in communities across the state. It's a tough but rewarding career. I will work every day to earn the trust and respect of my colleagues and the good people of Michigan."
Grady, a Wayne County resident, earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and criminology from Eastern Michigan University. He is currently working toward his master's degree in business administration at Clearly University.