Livingston Today

State Senator Jim Runestad has criticized a report by the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, which alleges that the Michigan State Police (MSP) have a policy of transferring all internal investigations of the MSP and other state departments directly to Attorney General Dana Nessel. This process reportedly bypasses local prosecutors.

In his statement, Sen. Runestad said, "Michigan State Police leadership has once again proven to be a failure to their troopers and the state as a whole. Their policy 07-25 hands every investigation of Gov. Whitmer’s bureaucrats directly into the hands of Attorney General Nessel, ensuring that local prosecutors can’t do their jobs and hold them accountable."

He further expressed concern about the implications of this policy, stating, "Instead of allowing local prosecutors to do their job, this reported policy places these cases on the desk of the partisan attorney general, who can then decide to give them a slap on the wrist, look the other way or turn a case into a political crusade."

Sen. Runestad also referenced recent events involving state police troopers: "Just last week, state police troopers came out publicly with a resounding vote of no confidence in their leaders — Col. Grady and Lt. Col. Brimacombe. This policy is yet another reason why they need to step down and allow responsible leaders to bring back the MSP into the storied institution it once was."

The controversy centers around whether such policies undermine local prosecutorial authority and how they impact accountability within government departments.