The Niles Post of the Michigan State Police, which serves Berrien and Cass counties, is not included in a regional policing model that will close 21 posts and detach 12 others.
The Bridgman post is among those to close.
The Michigan State Police (MSP) announced Thursday the adoption of a regional policing model designed to provide increased services while relying less upon traditional “bricks and mortar” post buildings. The plan emphasizes enhanced technology and data-driven policing without laying off a single trooper.
Under the regional policing plan, the MSP will reduce the number of posts from 62 to 29. Twenty-nine posts will remain fully operational, 12 posts will become detachments and 21 posts are slated for closure.
Troopers will be deployed throughout the state from posts, detachments and as resident troopers. Posts will remain fully operational and open to the public while detachments will serve as buildings where troopers can start and end their shifts, accomplish administrative tasks, and meet with the public by appointment. Detachments are not open for regular business hours.  Resident troopers are assigned to rural areas of the state and work directly from their home.
The MSP is confident that service levels will either be unchanged or enhanced given the increased flexibility in deployment and scheduling provided by this regional policing plan.
The department may look different, but our mission is clear:  we will continue to provide public safety while respecting the rights and dignity of all persons.
Michigan is a much different state today than when the MSP was established nearly a century ago. The new regional post locations were selected for their strategic locations in the region, their long-term structural viability and for their ability to accept new technology.
The MSP will implement technologies that provide a mobile office environment allowing troopers to perform many administrative duties directly from their patrol cars. Mobile computing capabilities will be expanded to provide patrol vehicles with the ability to electronically process ticketing and traffic crash data, as well as link real time information from the roadside to the courts.
This plan allows the MSP to be both more responsive to emerging crime trends and less constrained by traditional geographic boundaries.
Implementation of this plan will help the department meet the $20.7 million general fund reduction in the FY12 Executive Budget.
For more information on the plan, click on the regional policing plan link on the left side of the MSP Web page at www.michigan.gov/msp.