Twenty new Michigan State Police (MSP) motor carrier officers will begin work next week following the graduation of the 24th Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School December 13th at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Two of the new officers, Bryan Walker and Kurtis Herlein, have been assigned to the Michigan State Police Jackson Post. Walker is from Jackson and Herlein is from Onondaga.
Motor carrier officers are armed uniformed members of the MSP who specialize in commercial vehicle enforcement. They enforce traffic safety laws on commercial vehicles, protect the infrastructure through aggressive size and weight enforcement, conduct commercial vehicle and driver inspections and contribute to homeland security efforts by enforcing hazardous material regulations.
“Governor Whitmer and I are proud to welcome these new motor carrier officers to the ranks of the Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division,” said Lt. Governor Gilchrist. “We are thankful for the commitment of these brave men and women to protecting our state’s infrastructure, enforcing commercial vehicle safety laws and keeping Michiganders safe. The MSP has some of themost highly-trained officers in the nation, and I wish each of them a safe and rewarding career on the road.”
MC Ofcr. Paul Brown II, who was elected Class Orator by his fellow recruits and also received the Team Building Award, spoke on behalf of the graduating class. MC Ofcr. Matthew Fox received the Academic Achievement and Outstanding Performance awards. MC Ofcr. Noah Lula received the Marksmanship Award.
In his address to the recruits, Col. Joe Gasper, director of the MSP said, “Your mission is an important one. I ask that you take your responsibilities granted to you as motor carrier officers seriously and strive each day to be the best officer you can be.”
The 24th Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School began on July 28, 2019, when 29 prospective officers reported to the MSP Training Academy in Dimondale. For the past 20 weeks, the recruits received training in firearms, water safety, defensive tactics, patrol techniques, report writing, ethics, first aid, criminal law, precision driving, commercial vehicle law and commercial vehicle inspection procedures.
In order to be selected to attend the academy, applicants had to pass a stringent selection process that included a physical fitness test, background investigation and hiring interview.
