Troopers graduate from Michigan State Police 142nd Trooper Recruit School
(CBS DETROIT) - A total of 59 troopers graduated from the 142nd Trooper Recruit School Thursday morning.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acted as keynote speaker and Col. Joe Gasper, director of Michigan State Police (MSP), administered the Oath of Office to 59 individuals who will begin their assignments at MSP posts across the state next week.
"The Michigan State Police is one of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies, and I am so proud of the 59 Michiganders in the 142nd Trooper Recruit School for joining their ranks," Whitmer said. "As a former prosecutor, public safety will always be a core issue for me, and I will work with anyone to bring down crime and build up our communities. I am so grateful to the sacrifices our law enforcement officers make every day to keep us safe. Together, let's keep families safe as they go to work, drop their kids off at school, or run errands in their neighborhood."
The 142nd Trooper Recruit School started last June with 85 prospective troopers. 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.
Trooper Matthew Patercsak was elected Class Orator by his fellow recruits and spoke on behalf of the graduating class at their ceremony; Trooper Kevin Brown received the Outstanding Performance, Physical Fitness and Marksmanship awards; Trooper Shiloh LaButte who received the Team Building Award; and Trooper Gavin Lamarche who received the Academic Achievement Award.
"We welcome our 59 newest troopers with the confidence that they will continue our tradition of service," Gasper said. "The standard we subscribe to as members of the Michigan State Police is to treat all those you encounter with dignity and respect, always. These newest troopers represent not only the future of the MSP, but the future of policing, and I'm confident the work they will do day-in and day-out will help to raise the standards of our industry."
About 1,192 troopers, including the 59 newest members, are assigned statewide with a total of 1,888 enlisted members.
The 143rd Trooper Recruit School is anticipated to begin on Jan. 22, 2023, at the MSP Training Academy in Lansing. They are expected to graduate on June 9, 2023.
Anyone interested in learning more or interested in applying should visit www.michigan.gov/MSPjobs.
