Capitol News

State Rep. Mike Mueller has criticized the leadership of the Michigan State Police (MSP), stating that recent command appointments have resulted in a dysfunctional and ineffective department. Mueller, a retired sheriff’s deputy and chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Michigan State Police, said his proposed budget reflects these concerns.

Mueller pointed to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to appoint Colonel James Grady from the captain level, who then promoted Lieutenant Colonel Aimee Brimacombe despite her limited supervisory experience and disciplinary history. “Governor Whitmer is the only governor in our history to appoint a colonel from the captain level, and he in turn took a lieutenant with very little supervisory experience and a history of disciplinary problems, and promoted her up several ranks to lieutenant colonel,” Mueller said. “We have two people with very little command experience who jumped up the ranks, and now the entire department is paying the price. These two have created a toxic culture. Troopers have no confidence in them, and it shows in the work they’re afraid to do.”

A recent vote among MSP troopers showed 98% expressing no confidence in Grady and Brimacombe. Despite this result, Governor Whitmer has continued her support for both leaders.

Mueller cited actions by Grady that he believes have undermined trooper morale, including public criticism of a trooper involved in a fatal incident while having himself been involved in such an event earlier in his career. Policy changes also restricted vehicle pursuits and shifted oversight of critical incidents from local prosecutors to the Attorney General’s office.

Traffic enforcement statistics show declines since 2017: traffic stops dropped by 33%, from 435,967 to 291,976 by 2024; misdemeanor driving arrests fell by 58%, from 44,795 to 18,776 over the same period. Mueller attributed these trends to low morale among troopers. “Troopers don’t want to make traffic stops anymore because they’re afraid if they make a mistake, they’ll be thrown under the bus by their own leadership,” Mueller said. “MSP brass claims crime is down, but that’s only because the numbers are cooked. The truth is, troopers are too scared to do their jobs.”

He also raised concerns about favoritism and spending practices within MSP leadership. Both Grady and Brimacombe received bonuses before completing one year in their roles. Mueller alleged that unfilled staff positions left surplus funds that were used for expenses such as exceeding conference budgets by $40,000 and hiring a public relations firm for $400,000.

While enforcement activity has declined, MSP’s budget increased from $649 million in fiscal year 2017-18 to nearly $926 million this year under Governor Whitmer.

Mueller’s new budget proposal would reduce funding for MSP by about 7%—to roughly $860 million—by eliminating unfilled positions rather than reducing active road patrols. He stated that resources would be redirected toward other public safety initiatives.

The plan includes $46.3 million for pay raises negotiated with the trooper’s union.

Additionally, it proposes annual investments through the House’s Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund: $115 million per year for local law enforcement agencies and violence prevention programs across Michigan communities; $72 million would be distributed based on violent crime rates over three years for use exclusively on public safety or violence prevention; $40 million would go directly to county sheriff’s offices according to police force size; $1.5 million would support victims via the Crime Victim’s Rights Fund; another $1.5 million would fund community violence intervention grants.

“We’re sending more resources directly to local police through our Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund,” Mueller said. “In the meantime, we have a lot of work to do to mend the relationship between MSP and our local law enforcement agencies that Col. Grady has destroyed.”