LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT 1993-2003 THE NEXT DECADE 1993-2003
Beginning in 1994, through the present, 60% of the Lansing Police Department’s officers retired or resigned; of the 267 officers in 1994, 107 were new hires. A new contract allowing retirement after twenty-five years of service regardless of age, accounted for many of the retirements of those hired in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Retirees Dinner sponsored by the Police Benevolent Association 1994 L/R Ret. Deputy Chief Warren Eddie and Ret. Lt. Roy Becker
Motorcycle Squad 1995 L/R Front: Andy Lindeman, Mark Murray, Bob Delamarter, Jose Rodriquez. Second: John Hersman, Mike Simpson, Mike McManus, Joe Dionise. Third: Marty Underhill, Steve Person, Mike Ferlan, Jeff Lewis.
Dive Team 1995
Captain Richard Fox 1995 During his commendable service of 42 years, 1953-1995, Captain Richard Fox worked in Uniform patrol, Personnel and Training and the Detective Bureau.
Police officers never know where their job will take them. In May of 1997, Lansing Cops and Firefighters clashed on the football field in a 911 Classic benefit game for the Police Athletic League, DARE, Special Olympics and the Great Lakes Burn Camp. Many police officers took neighborhood children to see the game and departmental equipment from both the police and fire departments that were on display. Although Officer Kay Kennedy, took the field as offensive tackle, she didn’t announce her position ahead of time for fear a 270 pound firefighter would be positioned across from her. When asked the score, the players said, “The kids won.”
Drugs and gang activity were thought to be the cause of a rising homicide rate during the summer of 1997.
Policing of the City of Lansing, was divided into the South and North Precincts. LPD Headquarters remained at 120 E. Michigan Avenue where Administrative Services, Internal Affairs, Legal Advisor, Public Affairs and the jail are located.
South Precinct 1997 North Precinct 1999
Captain Paul Teszlewicz, commander of the South Precinct, was appointed interim police chief after the resignation of Chief Jerome Boles on July 28, 1997. Teszlewicz did not seek a permanent position but served as acting chief until Robert Johnson was sworn in as Lansing’s Police Chief in March of 1998.
While Teszlewicz served as Acting Chief, Captain Helen Perry Buse pulled double duty as human resources director in charge of department hiring, training and recruiting and also as commander of the South Precinct.
Johnson, 49, previously chief of Jackson, Mississippi, held a master’s degree from Western Michigan University, but said he gained his knowledge by working his way through the ranks. He said, “I will become the bridge between the old days of lock-em-up police work and contemporary resident-based community policing.”
Johnson chose 20-year veteran Andy George to fill the vacancy of Assistant Chief. George received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MSU.
CYBERCOPS
In 1998, a federal grant allowed for the purchase of computer software giving access to developing crime trends in Lansing. The software will be available through the department’s web site and creates maps that pinpoint streets where crimes happen and allows access to everyone from the beat officer to residents. With this information, neighborhood watch groups could tailor education programs to tackle certain problems in their area.
In October of 1998, a federal grant allowed for the purchase of 24 laptop computers for patrol cars. The computers give officers access to local, state and national databases from their patrol cars to check on such things as warrants or the number of times officers have responded to a certain address. They are able to write reports, keep track of where other officers are in the city and send messages to each other. The laptop fits snugly in the front between the bucket seats. The modem that connects the computer to databases is stored in the trunk
NEW FIRING RANGE VITAL TO TRAINING Over $1.7 million in improvements were made to the Lansing Police Department firing range located in DeWitt Township. Named the Mac J. Donnelly Jr. Complex in honor of Officer Donnelly who was killed during a shootout at a bank robbery in 1977, the range features a concrete containment system that catches the bullets and deposits them in buckets behind the range or in trays below the wall.
The new firing range is enclosed and at an angle away from adjoining neighborhood property. Three newly constructed concrete bay shelters are used for training in shooting pistols, rifles, and moving targets for tactical training. Sgt. Steven Relyea has the arduous task of Range master. He develops and schedules training sessions, oversees the proper maintenance and updating of equipment and the entire facility. Firearm training is essential to all police officers.
A NEW CHIEF When Robert Johnson resigned as chief in March of 2000, Assistant Chief Andy George served as acting chief until the appointment of Captain Mark Alley as Lansing’s police chief on June 21, 2000. Alley, a fourteen-year veteran, signed a contract similar to Johnson’s that included performance objectives: keeping crime down, increasing citizen satisfaction, developing a plan to address racial profiling and recruiting diverse employees.
Chief Mark Alley
FINGERPRINTING Fingerprinting was a revolutionary advance on previous, unwieldy identification methods, one of which—the Bertillon system—involved measuring suspect’s fingers, feet and skulls with calipers. In 1900, Sir Edward Henry, a British official in India, took an interest in the science of dactylography—the use of fingerprints to establish identity. It’s based on the observation that no two people have the same pattern of ridges on their fingertips, palms, or feet. Henry grouped the ridge patterns of prints into categories: loops, arches and whoris. In 1901, Henry, assistant commissioner of Scotland Yard, established the Metropolitan Police Force Fingerprint Bureau. London police began to dip suspects’ fingers in ink and take a copy of the prints. Those inkblots made an impression around the world. Fingerprinting remains a blend of the old-fashioned and high tech as computer programs hold vast databases and software. In 1998, LPD connected to the Automated Fingerprint Identifications System (AFIS)—a collection of fingerprints stored in a massive database allowing police to link people to crimes. The system helped the city crack a 5-year-old rape case. Also, when people are arrested and unwilling to give the police their name, the police can run their prints through the system to see if they have prior arrests. A century later, DNA analysis may be more cutting-edge, but according to an AP article, police insist the humble fingerprint remains vital to solving crime.
INGHAM COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL Dedicated in 2000
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MEMORIAL - WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Law Enforcement Web Site In May 1993, Officer Julie Englehardt received special recognition during their tribute to women that have died in the line of duty. Back to: Lansing Police Department Historical Web Site Home Page
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