October 28, 2026
The Michigan State Police (MSP) is proud to announce three of its members have been honored for exemplary work in policing during the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 2026 annual gathering held in Florida this week.
F/Lt. Ty Purdy and Mr. Eric Fowler received the 40 Under 40 Award which celebrates rising leaders shaping the future of public safety. The State Trooper Outreach Partnership (S.T.O.P.) Gaylord Chapter received the Webber Seavey Excellence in Law Enforcement Award, which recognizes law enforcement agencies and programs for enhancing the quality of life in the communities they serve.
“Every day, I see the many ways our members provide exceptional service with excellence, integrity, and courtesy,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “I’m proud of our award recipients and firmly believe the communities we serve benefit from the leadership they demonstrate.”
About the Recipients:
F/Lt. Ty Purdy, commander of the Flint Post, has built a career defined by service, operational leadership, and crisis management. A former paramedic and sheriff’s deputy, he joined the MSP in 2013 graduating from the 125th Trooper Recruit School fulfilling his lifelong dream of serving as a state trooper.
F/Lieutenant Purdy has distinguished himself through strong performance and commitment to public service working as a trooper, canine handler, interdiction team member, supervisor, and now post commander at one of the department’s flagship posts.
His leadership was most recently visible during the 2025 mass attack in Grand Blanc Township where he served as incident commander for MSP resources coordinating emergency support teams, bomb technicians, aviation assets, investigators, canine teams, and patrol personnel within a unified command structure. His calm demeanor helped stabilize a complex scene involving an active shooter, structural fire, and several deaths and injuries. Following the incident, he organized after-action reviews, wellness support and community outreach initiatives honoring the victims.
Mr. Eric Fowler, Data Strategy and Governance Section Manager, has helped transform how the MSP uses data to support public safety, operational decision-making, and organizational accountability. He leads initiatives that modernize analytics capabilities, improve information sharing, and strengthen the department’s evidence-based policing efforts.
A former researcher with a blend of technical expertise, strategic vision, and commitment to public service, Fowler saw policing as an opportunity to provide immediate, actionable value and leverage research, technology, and innovation to address real-world public safety challenges.
For the past five years, he has led the Modern Culture of Data Program, a department-wide effort focused on improving technology, analytics, and data governance which helped the MSP to implement its first enterprise suite of interactive dashboards, providing near-real-time access to crime, traffic, personnel, and public safety data. The platform now serves more than 3,000 users and includes the agency’s first public-facing crime dashboard.
State Trooper Outreach Partnership (S.T.O.P.) Gaylord Chapter was established in northern Michigan in 2022 with the mission to equip troopers with the resources needed to assist individuals in need particularly where after‑hours emergency services are limited, and challenges are more pronounced during harsh winter conditions.
The S.T.O.P. Gaylord Chapter was created to ensure that emergency services, temporary housing, and essential assistance can be more accessible. These efforts are made possible through donations, fundraisers, and grant funding. Past efforts included covering costs to repair flat tires, hotel rooms, constructing wheelchair ramps, and hosting community events that bring police and community members together in a positive, enjoyable setting.
To support the ongoing education of students, the S.T.O.P. Gaylord Chapter has donated book vending machines to multiple schools.
The chapter’s success has been so impactful that additional S.T.O.P. chapters are now being established at other MSP posts across the state. It originally began at the Paw Paw Post.
Spl/Lt. Ashley Miller, president of the S.T.O.P. Gaylord Chapter and Seventh District Coordinator, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, accepted the award on behalf of the group.
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