Michigan State Police open doors to the public

Today marks the 96th Anniversary of the Michigan State Police. To celebrate the occasion, troopers hosted an open house with a variety of exhibits on display. The main goal: interacting with people in the community and giving them a peek behind the badge.

“A lot of times when people have contact with us, it’s under less than favorable circumstances. We want to show people there are other sides. There are other things we offer. We’re people just like everybody else. We all have families. We all have interests other than what we’re doing everyday, on a professional basis, so we just wanted to welcome the community. Because community support is what it’s all about,” said Lt. Robert Pernaski.

Demonstrations on safe driving, swat team protocol, and bomb detection techniques were some of the highlights at the event. Visitors were also given the chance to see how the dispatching process works, on an officer-guided tour of the operation. Everyone involved was happy with the turnout despite the nasty conditions outside.