How Michigan State Police are dealing with COVID-19

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - “These type of pandemics effects every department in the state,” said Lt. Mike Shaw with Michigan State Police. 

As of right now, MSP is taking extra precautions and suiting up. 

“Crime doesn’t stop just because people start coughing in fact it has a tendency to pick up,” Shaw said. 

 
Shaw believes people should remember one role of MSP is Homeland Security and Emergency Management, preparing for pandemics just like the Coronavirus.
 
“We are a para military organization if the Colonel happens to get it he gets isolated and the Lt. Colonel takes over and we move on,” he said. 
 
On the road, troopers are always equipped with masks and gloves, more hand sanitizer these days, and if needed access to bio hazard suits.
 
“It’s always better to overreact than underreact because either way someone will be mad,” Shaw said. 

Calls for service and traffic stops, they’re practicing social distance and lines of questioning might include checking on general health. 
 
“If we walk up to a car and someone is sneezing all over the place we’re probably going to use some more social distance and we might even ask questions as we come up to the car like how are feeling today?,” Shaw said. 
 
Shaw says the reaction the general public has had during this situation was expected, except for one thing.
 
“Never a toilet paper shortage,” he said.  “That’s a new one for us that we were surprised at the amount of fear that came across.”
 
It’s a learning process for MSP too, Shaw says for their department keeping composure going forward is key.
 
“If we are afraid everyone else will be too,” he said.