MICHIGAN STATE POLICE

Today we were treated by Home Care Alternatives Home Health Agency to a tour of the Michigan State Police Training Center.  The MSP always offers a tour of their facility for The Tri County Office on Aging auction held every November to benefit  the Meals on Wheels program.

We meaning Kristin, Adria, and Jan from Home Care Alternative (who paid for the tour) and yours truly!  I was so impressed with the hospitality and the professionalism we encountered there.  They give tours all the time but they treated us like we were special!  I know they are busy people but they had time for ordinary citizens!

Sgt. Michelle Robinson gave us our two hour tour.  She was fun and kind and so knowledgeable.  The Michigan State police was started during World War I to protect the copper minds from thief's and they rode horses way back then!

We were able to meet Sgt Dave Yount and his German Shepherd Lightening!  He said they only use German Shepherds, they have tried other dogs but the German Shepherd dog works much better.  They pay $8,000 dollars for their dogs and get them from another county.....but I forgot which country. If he puts a certain collar on Lightening he immediately knows he's searching for drugs.  If he puts a harness on him he knows he's looking for bodies.  It was Lightening who recently found the missing little boy in Mount Pleasant MI.

We saw the indoor shooting range  and the indoor pool that they train in for recovering swim victims and actually have a model of a car they submerge.  It was all very impressive..........but they saved the best for last!  Each of us where taken in our own State Police Car around the track four times at a very high speed!  My driver was Sgt Matt Rogers he was very nice! The other two drivers were Sgt. Jim Flegal and Sgt. Ron Gromak.

It was such a fun experience and I have such a new respect for the Michigan State police and all the training they receive to protect us.  Maybe I won't get so nervous when I see one of them on the high way next time?  Oh yes they gave us each a Michigan State Police Mug!