LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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CRIME FIGHTING SQUADS AND UNITS To combat an increase in burglaries and larcenies in the late 1960s and 1970s, the Lansing Police Department organized several special squads and units. METRO NARCOTIC SQUAD By 1970, the City of Lansing consisted of 434 miles of streets and alleys within a 33.5 square mile area, with a resident population of 131,546. Industry, government, business and education provided an economic base for the city. Personnel of the Lansing Police Department included 242 sworn officers and 38 civilians. To combat a rising crime index, a team of tri-county officers conducted undercover investigations of illegal drug traffic. During 1968-69 over 100 warrants for narcotics violations were issued. A federal grant allotted funding for the organization of a “Metropolitan Narcotics Squad” that investigated cases involving hard narcotics and dangerous drugs and were successful in making many arrests. A dedicated team of police officers continues the fight against illegal drugs. CRIME PREVENTION Through the efforts of Captain Roger Jackson a group of four officers promoted a public awareness program and provided information to make property and person less vulnerable to a criminal attack. They encouraged security inspections of residential and commercial property and the formation of “Blockwatchers,” now Neighborhood Watch, a citizen involvement program. A surveillance unit, Intelligence Criminal Unit (ICU), initiated the arrest of 98 persons of which more than half were Part 1-serious crimes. L/R: Officers Bill Miller, Jeff Aveiro, Craig Gleason, Bob McClean SATURATION UNIT A “Saturation Patrol Unit” entered high crime areas identifying and apprehending known criminals. Their presence discouraged nonresidents from entering the area. Cooperation between Capt. Burtch of the Investigations Divisions, and Capt. Wash of the Patrol Division, provided a free flow of information between the units that supported the fight against crime. SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT Selective enforcement dates back to 1829 when Sir Robert Peel of England implemented a selective assignment of officers to apprehend pickpockets working in a particular area. In 1929, Lt. F. Kreml (NUTI), placed traffic officers in areas with high accident rates. Selective enforcement of this type is proportional to traffic accidents with respect to the type of violation, time, and location. This offers the best use of a limited number of personnel by assigning them to locations at times when problems exist. CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS Of vital importance to police officers is the protection of a scene where it will be necessary to collect evidence, such as an accident scene or a crime scene. In 1976, ten LPD officers were trained as a CSI team to protect the scene of a crime and apply special techniques and knowledge in the collection of evidence. This on-going program requires continuous training of CSI officers. FLEXI-PATROL In 1980, the population of Lansing was 130,208. Sworn officers numbered 239, a reduction of 40 officers. The 1980s ushered in double-digit inflation figures and reduction of Federal Revenue Sharing; both contributed to increased unemployment. Police departments across the country experienced a significant increase in the number of reported crimes. Lansing experienced a combined sixteen percent increase in robbery, assault, burglary and larceny. In an eastside neighborhood, citizens complained of harassment by “streetwalkers.” LPD instituted a “flexi-patrol” of undercover female/male officers who worked around the clock to fight the growing problem. Successful results of the team were apparent in less than three months.
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