East Lansing

Cedar Village Destruction

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EAST LANSING – Thousands of MSU Students took to the streets early Sunday morning, December 8 to celebrate Michigan State’s win over Ohio State in the 2013 B1G Championship Game. Fires were set to couches all over East Lansing, with a rowdy celebration ensuing in Cedar Village, just East of MSU’s campus. Students burned whatever they could find, including trees, the shirts off their backs, couches, and matresses. They even uprooted multiple trees and bushes to burn. Police were on the perimeter of Cedar Village, but did not take action until Michigan State Police and SWAT teams arrived around 2:30 AM. East Lansing Police reported that at least 57 fires were set around the city, and 15 arrests were made.

Public Safety

State Police rely more on data to fight crime

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By MATTHEW HALL
Capital News Service
LANSING – Aside from more troopers, data analysts could be the best way to boost crime prevention efforts, said Col. Kristie Etue, the head of the State Police. Since Gov. Jennifer Granholm left office in 2011, budget cuts contributed to closing the majority of State Police posts across Michigan, she said. Funding has begun to increase recently, though, and the department is looking at a new way to prevent crime. With fewer and fewer troopers, the department has come to rely on data in order to tackle crime, Etue said.

Government

Pot woes well hidden in state's forests

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By MICHAEL GERSTEIN
Capital News Service
LANSING – Drug traffickers have been conducting business deep within the lush canopy of Michigan’s forests since at least 2008. But after five years of eradication efforts, law enforcement agencies say the problem is showing no signs of going away. The Hiawatha National Forest website flashes a brief message in the corner of the screen: “Keep safe: Marijuana grow sites. Be observant.” There’s a short description of trafficking campsites, and a request that forest users report suspicious activity. Hiawatha National Forest Supervisor Jo Reyer said that “while it’s unlikely visitors will come across this kind of activity, we also want to make sure that hunters, hikers, campers and other recreationists know how to stay safe.”

Detective Lt. David Peltomaa, who oversaw the State Police marijuana eradication program for 10 years before being reassigned to his current post in Ann Arbor, said he suspects that less than half of the operations are discovered.

Government

Aspiring troopers undergo training rigors

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By ANJANA SCHROEDER
Capital News Service
LANSING – Trooper Andrew Adamczyk wants to have an impact on the 100-plus men and women who are undergoing an intensive 22-week program that includes instruction in firearms, driving and patrol. “I wanted to come back and pass along my experiences and everything I have to offer to future recruits and be a part of the Michigan State Police tradition. To build to department is very rewarding,” said Adamczyk, who teaches patrol techniques, report writing and water safety. Adamczyk is an instructor at the State Police’s 124th recruit school. The class as 93 men, 11 women and 26 military veterans.

Government

Police want earlier collection of DNA evidence

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By LAUREN GIBBONS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Proposed legislation that would allow collection of DNA samples at any felony arrest could change the nature of police work in Michigan, but advocacy groups are split on how much personal information is too much. Bills sponsored by Sens. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, and Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, would allow on-scene investigators to collect DNA samples from suspects arrested for any felony. If passed, the bills would expand the state’s current DNA identification profiling system database. Currently, the law allows DNA collection of suspects at the time of arrest only for certain crimes, including assault, murder, kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct, robbery, indecent exposure and prostitution.

Government

Troopers bolster local police in high-crime communities

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By ANJANA SCHROEDER
Capital News Service
LANSING – The State Police is helping the downsized Inkster Police Department by providing increased patrols to reduce violent crime, in addition to its comprehensive cooperation effort in Detroit and three other major cities. Michael Canty of the Inkster City Council said the council passed a plan to request help for the police department. “I contacted the governor personally and his office said the state would support Inkster in any way they could,” Canty said. Two troopers were assigned indefinitely to augment the city department, he said. State Police Capt. Monica Yesh said the city’s main problem is not enough officers although Inskter’s murder and violent crime rate increased throughout 2012.

Government

New system uses data to fight crime, boost traffic safety

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – The State Police has begun implementing the Data-Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety, a new system that uses crime data to determine the deployment of police officers. According to Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the State Police, the use of data analysis will improve the effectiveness of law enforcement response statewide. “Our intelligence center looks at crime reports and analyzes the data in a map,” Etue said. “When you look at it like that, you can actually see the criminal hot spots.