State police to downgrade Ypsilanti post, put more troopers in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County will have four detachments, where troopers can start and end their day and store equipment and evidence if necessary, Allen said. They can also meet with the public there by appointment. Besides the location in Ypsilanti, the detachments will include a new one at the Saline Police Department and detachments in Sylvan and Salem townships.

State police already have detachments in Salem and Sylvan, but the Salem detachment will be moving across the parking lot from its current Township Hall location, 9600 Six Mile Road, Plymouth, to another township-owned building, where the troopers will have more space.

Once the transition is complete, state police will have 19 troopers assigned to Washtenaw County, compared with the current 13. The assignments will include four troopers working out of the Salem detachment, four in Saline, seven working out of Sylvan Township Hall near Chelsea and four, including a K9 officer, in Ypsilanti.

A community service trooper will work in both counties. The Brighton post will have 43 troopers between the two counties.

The public should notice no difference in how calls are handled, but the plan should provide a benefit, Allen said. “We will be able to have more troopers on the road per shift,” he said. “The number of incidents per trooper should go down.”

He noted the goal of the plan, which is closing several posts throughout the state, was to save money without laying off troopers. It's accomplishing that, he said.

While the Ypsilanti post will switch to detachment status on Oct. 16, the transition to the new regional policing model will happen a bit more gradually, Allen said. By mid-November all troopers should be assigned to their respective detachments and the transition will be complete.

The Brighton post is one of five pilot posts first to implement the new policing plan. By June 20 of next year, the entire state will have made the transition, Allen said.

State police announced the plan to close posts as part of an effort to cut $17.7 million million from the fiscal 2012 budget March 24. More information about the regional police plan is on the Michigan State Police website.