January 27, 2005

EAST LANSING. Michigan State Police Director Colonel Tadarial J. Sturdivant is pleased to announce Trooper Yvonne D. Brantley of the Bay City Post is the 2004 recipient of the Dr. Carl A. Gerstacker Trooper of the Year Award.

The Gerstacker Award recognizes the trooper or sergeant who symbolizes outstanding professional ethics, dedication to duty and a concern for giving back to the community. The late Dr. Carl A. Gerstacker, former chairman of Dow Chemical Company, created the award in 1961.

Brantley was chosen for continuously going beyond the normal call of duty both on the job and in her community. Brantley’s work ethic and personal life style exhibit her devotion to work and family, as well as her desire to enhance the community she serves while representing the Michigan State Police.

At the Bay City Post, Brantley was assigned to most criminal sexual assault complaints because she displays a great deal of compassion and is able to establish a rapport with the victims. Brantley is a certified forensic interviewer and has successfully obtained many disclosures from victims of criminal sexual conduct.

Brantley continues her compassion for victims of sexual assault on her own time, volunteering at a county women’s shelter. She is the department’s liaison for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (S.A.N.E.) committee where she developed guidelines to assist law enforcement with sexual assault examinations and helped obtain a grant for equipment and training of law enforcement personnel. Brantley is also the liaison for the Sexual Assault Response Team (S.A.R.T.) where she helped develop protocol for officers handling victims of sexual assault.

Brantley is dedicated to building positive relationships between children and police officers. As a T.E.A.M (Teaching Educating and Mentoring) liaison, Brantley spends time speaking with school-age children on various subjects such as dating violence, gun safety, drugs and anger management. Working with the Field Neurosciences Institute, a non-profit organization, Brantley helped develop the Caught Being Safe program, which encourages children to wear a bicycle helmet. In addition, Brantley is a certified car seat technician and works to educate parents on the correct daily use of a car seat.

Brantley joined the department in 1996, and graduated as a member of the 114^th Trooper Recruit School. After graduation she was assigned to the Rockford Post. In 1998 she was transferred to the Bay City Post where she has served for seven years. Brantley currently lives in Bay City with her two children.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

F/Lt. John Card, Bay City Post Commander, (989) 684-2235

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