Patrol – MSU Police and Public Safety

Patrol

The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety provides law enforcement services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The department responds to all calls for service and investigates all criminal incidents occurring on property owned by the University or governed by the MSU Board of Trustees. Over the years, the area of patrol has grown from a small agricultural college to a major University with one of the largest residence hall systems in the nation.

Patrol Officers are the first responders to incidents, as they respond directly to calls that are dispatched from the Ingham County Regional 9-1-1 Center when people call in an emergency.

Patrol Officers are also one of the most visible representatives of the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety. They can frequently be seen proactively patrolling our community in police vehicles, bicycles, or on foot.

Officers work to become well-acquainted with the area and with the community members they serve within our jurisdiction. When not responding directly to 9-1-1 calls, non-emergency police requests, or providing backup to other officers; patrol officers proactively focus on current criminal or safety-related issues throughout the community.

Patrol officers are given extensive training in many different skill sets and attend mandatory training throughout their careers, because they come across so many different types of incidents and situations.

A background and understanding of patrol work is essential before a transition to any other type of police work. Because of this, all sworn officers begin their careers participating in patrol.

Field Training Officer Program

The purpose of the Field Training Officer Program is to train new officers so that each officer is prepared to function as a solo patrol officer at the conclusion of their training cycle. Field Training Officers are specially trained, highly motivated officers that must attend a 40-hour advanced training program prior to instructing new officers. The training cycle for new officers consists of a minimum of 720 hours of intensive on-the-job training and daily performance evaluations.

Once sworn into the police department, each officer must successfully complete the Field Training program. The Field Training program is divided into four phases. Each phase has tasks which must be learned by each new officer. These tasks are ordered so that the new officer is exposed to the most basic and necessary ones first. This curricula forms the foundation upon which new officers build upon during the remainder of the program and into subsequent years of service. As the new officer progresses through the program, they will encounter increasingly more difficult and complex assignments. By the end of the training program, new officers must show proficiency in all training areas to maintain their employment as an MSU Police Officer.