MSU police awarded with traffic safety honor

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The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety won an award for traffic safety for the second year in a row.

MSU police Lt. Randy Holton said the department won the annual award for traffic safety from the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, or MACP, for its dedication to traffic safety.

With the award, the department is receiving $6,000 to use toward traffic safety.

Davison Township police Chief Larry Hrinik, President of the MACP, said the organization selects departments that go further than regular enforcement.

“The first thing (the MACP) looks for is to make sure that they’re stressing traffic enforcement,” Hrinik said. “But it’s important that they’re doing above and beyond just normal enforcement.”

MSU police won the award for not only its enforcement of traffic safety, but its outreach to the MSU community, Holton said.

“It’s not just enforcement — it’s education,” Holton said. “We are always trying to educate people about traffic safety, whether that’s through programs, through our Web site or through other means, we’re always trying to keep people educated about how to stay safe.”

Holton said the department also recently started an initiative to regulate the use of alternative vehicles, such as golf carts, on campus.

Golf carts and other alternative vehicles are frequently used by departments on campus.

Holton said most of them were not able to be registered for the road and were causing problems when being driven on sidewalks.

During the past few years, MSU police encouraged departments to either modify the vehicles or to discontinue use of ones that could not be modified. Holton said the university was cooperative with the change, and even the police department got rid of some vehicles that were not legal for the roads.

Since the initiative started, Holton said there have been no accidents involving alternative vehicles.

Hrinik said the MACP looks at innovative programs, such as the initiative by MSU, when it’s making decisions.

University spokesman Terry Denbow said MSU police constantly are looking for ways to partner with the university to improve safety, and it deserves the award.

“They look at (traffic safety) as their community responsibility,” Denbow said. “They are part of the university community. They do research, they communicate, they do outreach — the university commends them for what they do.”

A small white piece of wall will be the new home for the plaque inscribed with the department’s accomplishments. Holton said winning the award “just feels good.”

“It brings everything together,” Holton said. “It says you did a good job and what you’re doing makes a difference.”

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