Tag Archives: Michigan State Police

Recent ‘bomb scare’ serves as reminder to call police first

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The inert mortar round and .30 caliber bullets were brought into the Wyoming Department of Public Safety on Feb. 18. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

When a person comes back from a vacation, it is not uncommon for them to also bring back a few souvenirs. It is no different for those who have fought in a war, especially World War II, Korea, or Vietnam — except their souvenirs could possibly be explosive.

“It was not uncommon for veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to bring these items (munitions such as mortar shells) home,” said Sgt. Joe Roney, one of 12 members on the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad that services the westside of Michigan. “As these veterans pass, it is when family members come across these items.”

Such was the case last week when a resident came to the City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety with munitions, which turned out to be an inert mortar round and .30 caliber bullets, to the the department’s headquarters at 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW. For safety, the department closed its offices until the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad was able to clear the items.

“We usually ask people to call the police department before bringing stuff in,” said Roney, who was one of the members from the Michigan State Bomb squad to respond to last week’s call. “We really do not want people to drive around with these items in their car because they don’t know if they are live.”

According to experts, munitions can become more volatile and unpredictable as the items age, so police urge residents to leave the items where they are discovered and call the police. 

“Some of the items can be highly explosive,” Roney said, adding that dynamite and blasting caps are examples of such items.

“Farmers often had dynamite or blasting caps to blow up stumps,” he said. “If you come across these items, they can still be very dangerous.”

Roney said his unit gets quite a few calls for found old munitions. There are stories of a person who noticed a neighbor’s doorstop was an old 60-millimeter shell but most people just find items stored in in a forgotten box in the home after the person has died. 

For people who come across such items, evacuate the area and call the local police department which in turn will reach out to the the Michigan State Bomb Squad, Roney said.

All items are properly disposed of by the Michigan State Bomb Squad, he said.

It is estimated that 500,000 World War II, 2.25 million Korean War, and about 850,000 Vietnam War veterans were still living in 2018.


Child passenger safety: Find a seat check event near you 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, Kids Activities,

Not only is the correct seat important, but also the correct buckling of seat and young passenger.

By Michigan State Police

 

The Michigan State Police is seeking to educate parents about how to choose the right car seat and how to install and use it correctly.

 

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children one to 13 years old, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

 

“Car seats, booster seats and safety belts save lives, but their misuse by well-intentioned parents and caregivers is far too common,” said Community Service Trooper Martin Miller of the Rockford Post. “Be proactive — get your child’s car seat or booster seat checked to ensure their safety.”

 

Car Seat Recommendations:

 

On Aug. 30, 2018, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) published an update to its 2011 child passenger safety policy statement and technical report. The most significant change is modified language around how long children should remain rear-facing. Instead of recommending rear facing to at least age 2, the updated policy statement recommends children remain rear facing until they reach the weight or height limit allowed by their seat. Most current car safety seats will accommodate children rear facing to age 2 or more.

 

Further recommendations by the AAP:

 

All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat (CSS) as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their CSS’s manufacturer. Most convertible seats have limits that will permit children to ride rear-facing for 2 years or more.

 

All children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their CSS should use a forward-facing CSS with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by their CSS’s manufacturer.

 

All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their CSS should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle lap and shoulder seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 ft 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

 

When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use lap and shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.

 

All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.

 

For more information on child car safety and to find a free car seat check event near you, go to safercar.gov/parents.

 

State Police offers tips on personal fireworks safety this summer

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Holidays, Kids Activities, Recreation

Sparklers may be a favorite for families with kids, but care needs to be used with any fireworks.

By Michigan State Police

 

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 240 people nationwide go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July holiday. Due to these injuries, the Michigan State Police is reminding citizens to take extra safety precautions if your July Fourth celebration includes fireworks.

 

“Fireworks pose a serious fire and burn hazard because they are unpredictable,” said Community Service Trooper Martin Miller, Rockford Post. “Even supervised use of legal fireworks can result in devastating injuries.”

 

 

If you choose to use fireworks at home, follow these safety precautions:

Read and follow all warnings and instructions included on the packaging.

Never allow children to play with fireworks of any kind.

Only use fireworks outdoors.

Wear protective clothing, including eyewear.

Only ignite devices on smooth, flat surfaces away from residential areas, dry leaves and flammable materials.

Always keep a hose or bucket of water nearby in case of malfunction.

Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.

 

The sale and use of consumer fireworks became legal on Jan. 1, 2012, when the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, Public Act 256 of 2011, went into effect. Low impact fireworks and ground-based items, such as sparkers, toy snakes, snaps and poppers remain legal for sale and use.

 

A list of legal consumer fireworks, legal low impact fireworks and novelties is outlined here.

 

To learn more about fireworks safety, the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act or state-certified fireworks retailers, go to the Bureau of Fire Services website here.

 

School News Network: Cyberattack Costs District, Prompts Extra Protection

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Education, , , , ,

More districts are having to enroll in cyberattack protection as incident numbers rise.

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

The Godfrey-Lee Public School District battled a continuous malicious cyberattack beginning in September that sometimes left staff members with no access to student emergency and medical information.

 

The Wyoming Police Department and Michigan State Police are investigating the cyber attack. The district is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the criminal activity.

 

The entire district internet system was shut down nearly every school day. Attackers did this by jamming the AT&T router with traffic to the point it would shut down.

 

“It all seemed to be tied to school hours, not always starting the same time of day, but it always would end just as kids were getting out of school,” Superintendent David Britten said. “(AT&T) wouldn’t give us any information at all on where (the traffic) was coming from.”

 

To fix the problem, AT&T required Godfrey-Lee purchase the protection service.

 

Teresa Mask, senior public relations manager for AT&T Michigan, declined comment.

 

While the attacks had stopped as of early December, the district has locked into a three-year contract for a protection service with AT&T, costing $87,000 over three years.

 

Daniel Townsend, district director of technology and media services, said the cost for AT&T’s protection service is approximately $49,000 for 12 months. That includes a one-time $30,000 fee for an emergency setup. The cost for the remaining two years in the three-year contract is $19,000 a year. The Board of Education approved a $60,000 budget addition for this fiscal year to cover the cost — about the cost of a teacher, Britten said.

 

The district’s technology team first tried to use an out-of-state company to fix the problem, but that didn’t work because AT&T has control of the infrastructure. The out-of-state company did have another solution, but “it would have been a very complex process involving a lot of man-hours, so we chose to use AT&T since they own the infrastructure and could expedite the process,” Townsend said.

 

Godfrey-Lee Public Schools is the poorest district in Kent County. Ninety-five percent of students receive free or reduced-cost lunch.

 

Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!

Michigan State Police add extra patrols for Thanksgiving holiday

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

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Courtesy MSP website

Operation C.A.R.E. traffic safety effort begins Wednesday

The Thanksgiving holiday is almost here, and that means travel, food, family and football. As motorists prepare to hit the highways, the Michigan State Police (MSP) are gearing up for the annual Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) traffic safety initiative Nov. 23-27, 2016.

“We want every family to have a safe holiday and to enjoy time together,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “We urge you to drive safely this Thanksgiving weekend by wearing a seat belt, designating a sober driver and avoiding distractions like texting or talking on your phone while driving.”

Thanksgiving is the second deadliest holiday in Michigan for traffic crashes. In 2015, there were 11 fatalities, five of which were pedestrians, during the holiday period. In 2014 there were six traffic fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the lowest number in more than 30 years.

Beginning Wednesday, troopers across the state will conduct high-visibility enforcement focusing on impaired driving, seat belt use, careless driving and speeding. Extra patrols are paid for with federal traffic safety funds coordinated by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

msp
Courtesy MSP website

Enforcement is supported by the Give thanks. Drive safely. public awareness campaign that includes a public service announcement available at www.youtube.com/michstatepolice. With the arrival of winter weather, motorists are also encouraged to take extra precautions when driving in snowy and icy conditions and to place an emergency preparedness kit in their vehicles. To learn more about creating a kit, go here.

Operation C.A.R.E. is a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing traffic crashes and fatalities on highways across the country. It began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the MSP and the Indiana State Police. Today Operation C.A.R.E. is one of the nation’s longest running traffic safety initiatives and includes state and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, as well as some American territories and Canadian provinces.