Hats off to MSP.

Michigan State Police officers Lt. Matt Kanitz, Sgt. Charles Hockanson, Trooper Dan Thomas, Trooper Brittany Johnson and F/Lt. and Post Commander Jeff White wear the new hats that debuted Thursday, Dec. 22.

Hats off to MSP.

#OceanaCountyNews #MichiganStatePolice

By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.

HART — The Hart post of the Michigan State Police, along with the 29 other posts across the state, were issued new “campaign-style” hats and began wearing them Thursday, Dec. 22.

Port Huron troopers in 1917.
– MSP photo

The black straw hats are the same type of hats worn by the original law enforcement members until the early 1920s. April 19, 2017 marks the MSP’s 100th anniversary, and the hats represent the agency’s long history.

The new design features a traditional four-dent style with an extra-stiff brim. The hats include braids of different colors, depending on rank. The vintage-style hats have a protective coating that makes them more durable for weather conditions, said Sgt. Charles Hockanson. Troopers also have a plastic cap to cover the hats when it’s raining, he said.

The new hats replace the fabric polyester-blend hats that troopers have been wearing for decades. The new hats feel much the same as their predecessors, Hockanson said, but it’s kind of early to tell since the officers just began wearing them today.

“From a cavalry of 300 men to a full-service police agency of nearly 2,800 members, the Michigan State Police has proven itself as a world-class leader in law enforcement,” its website states.

“The Michigan Department of State Police began as a temporary, wartime emergency force for the purpose of domestic security during World War I. On April 19, 1917, Governor Albert Sleeper created the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force, (also known as the Michigan State Constabulary.) With Colonel Roy C. Vandercook as the first

F/Lt. Jeff White of the Hart post.

commanding officer, this new force consisted of five troops of mounted, dismounted and motorized units, totaling 300 men. On March 26, 1919, Public Act 26 reorganized the Constabulary as the permanent, peace-time Michigan State Police.

“Michigan adopted a new Constitution in 1963, authorizing up to 20 departments. Public Act 380 of 1965 reorganized the Michigan Department of State Police as one of these departments. The director holds the rank of colonel and is appointed by the governor.

“Today, the Michigan State Police consists of a modern-day force of law enforcement professionals, using the latest up-to-date training and technology to protect the citizens of Michigan. What was once a cavalry of 300 men now has evolved into one of the leading police agencies of the United States.”