Police recruiting not a problem in U.P., but retention a statewide issue

By BRIDGET BUSH
Capital News Service
LANSING—While the state’s Upper Peninsula can attract new police recruits, its Lower Peninsula has challenges attracting qualified officers, experts say. The number of police officers is at an all-time low in Michigan, said Fred Timpner, executive director of the Michigan Association of Police. “I’ve got departments in lower Michigan that have 10 openings and five applicants,” he said. The reason is low pay and no retirement benefits, Timpner said. “What the public doesn’t realize is that 70-some percent of officers aren’t eligible for Social Security.