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August 02, 2021
A patrol vehicle is an officer's lifeline. It is trusted to perform and protect those traveling inside and sharing the road.
Each fall, the Vehicle Test Team of the Michigan State Police (MSP) Precision Driving Unit puts police model motorcycles, sedans and SUVs from different manufacturers through a variety of road tests to then compile comparable data on performance, acceleration, braking and vehicle dynamics. Off-course, vehicles are analyzed for ergonomics, radio frequency interference and ease of outfit, as well as fuel economy.
The MSP's report is published nationwide, internationally, and online, allowing agency fleet managers and purchasing agents to use the information as part of their procurement process.
The 2022 Police Model Vehicle Evaluation will be held Sept. 16-20 at the Chelsea Proving Grounds and Grattan Raceway. Fourteen motorcycles and vehicles will be assessed.
"The testing equipment has changed so much," said Lt. Michael McCarthy, commander of the Precision Driving Unit. "When I started with the Vehicle Test Team in 2006, we had just switched to a digital measuring system. Now we use a GPS-based program that charts speed, distance and g-forces."
The MSP and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are the only two agencies in the country who test and publish reports containing these stripped-down findings.
"We're considered experts and that's something we're very proud of," said McCarthy. "Our law enforcement partners trust that we're scrutinizing every aspect of these vehicles from the way different bodies fit in the seats to how well the stability control works."
Adding electric vehicles to the lineup is being discussed, McCarthy says. "Hard acceleration quickly depletes the battery's charge reducing the vehicle's range, and that can be a concern in the police industry."
The MSP has been publishing the Police Model Vehicle Evaluation since 1974.
In a continuing commitment to transparency and equitable policing, the Michigan State Police (MSP) today shared an independent study of its 2021 traffic stop data conducted by researchers at the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University (MSU). This study, which follows a similar independent study conducted last year, explores racial and ethnic disparities both statewide and at the post level using the Veil-of-Darkness (VOD) research methodology.
Michigan students will again benefit from the addition of 36 police officers trained in the Teaching, Educating, and Mentoring (TEAM) School Liaison Program.
Eight new Michigan State Police (MSP) motor carrier officers have joined the ranks following the graduation of the 26th Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School this afternoon at a ceremony in Lansing.
To remind everyone about the importance of buckling up, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) has announced a “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign that will run from May 15 to June 4.
Starting tomorrow, some residents in mid- and southwest Michigan will receive text message updates from the Michigan State Police (MSP) when they make an emergency call to a dispatch center.