In 1928 the first uniformed and armed officer was hired to patrol the campus. This officer was supplemented by student watchmen stationed in various buildings. A second patrolman was hired in 1934 and in 1937 an agreement was made with the City of East Lansing for their Chief of Police to act as supervisor for the campus force. At that time the department consisted of one lieutenant, one sergeant and five patrolmen. Station facilities were located in the power plant. The department had three vehicles, two marked and one unmarked, equipped with one-way radios to monitor the State Police network.

From this inauspicious beginning the department has grown to an independent police department with an authorized strength of 58 sworn officers. Today's officers operate vehicles equipped with multi-channel scanning radios, mobile data terminals, radar and laser speed detection, as well as vehicles designed for Crime Scene Investigation, K-9 patrol, motorcycle, ATV, and multi-officer transport. The area of patrol has grown from a small agricultural college to a major university with the largest residence hall system in the nation.

All of the officers are involved in an intense Community Policing program, with some officers designated as Community Police Officers. These officers are assigned geographic areas of the campus and are responsible for the activities within those areas. Other officers specialize in areas of K-9 patrol, Crime Scene Investigation, Accident Investigation, Tactical Operations, Traffic Enforcement, Bicycle Patrol, and for specific events a Mounted Patrol.

If you would like to schedule a police ride along, please use our request page.

Areas of Interest

The Department of Police and Public Safety have introduced specialty teams into their normal patrol routines. These specialty teams include:

• POLICE K9 TEAM
  
• BICYCLE PATROL TEAM
  
• TACTICAL OPERATIONS UNIT
  
• CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS (CSI)

Reasonable Cause

There is no exact definition of reasonable cause. The following example is intended to show situations in which a police officer might have reasonable cause to administer a breath analysis test where the individual appears to be under the age of 21 and exhibits:

1. Odor of alcohol on the persons breath
2. Bloodshot eyes.
3. Slurred speech.
4. Staggered walking
5. Loud and unruly behavior.
6. Carrying alcoholic beverages.
7. Vomiting.

NOTE: THIS LIST IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE