ADOPTED - MAY 14, 2002

Agenda Item No. 18

Introduced by the Law & Courts Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION HONORING DR. BRUCE BENSON, POLICY CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

RESOLUTION #02-134

WHEREAS, Dr. Bruce Benson has served as Police Chief and Director of Public Safety at Michigan State University since September of 1986; and

WHEREAS, with his innovative leadership and police management experience in both municipal and university policing, he has brought professionalism to the department transforming the MSU Department of Public Safety; and

WHEREAS, under his leadership the MSU Department of Public Safety has received the 1999 national "Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award," Security on Campus, Inc., the 1994 "Community Policing Award of Excellence," Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and is the recipient of Michigan State University's 1993 departmental Excellence in Diversity Award; and

WHEREAS, Bruce's is committed to community policing, crime reduction, equal justice and police officer empowerment, since implementing Community Policing in 1987, the MSU community has enjoyed a steady, gradual decline in crime, overall felony crimes have decreased by 70%; and

WHEREAS, under his direction the Department of Public Safety has established a Value Based Management System, based on 14 clear rules of conduct, emphasizing integrity, quality leadership, empowerment and customer service; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety has also established a joint police radio dispatch center, with two local police agencies, to greatly improve effectiveness and safety and to reduce costs and has created the nation's first 10-point "Sexual Assault Response Guarantee" to increase trust with crime victims and the general community; and

WHEREAS, in 1999 Bruce received MSU's individual "Excellence in Diversity Award", in 1996 he received the individual "Community Oriented Policing Award" from the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, and received the "Visionary Award" from the Greater Lansing Urban League in 1992; and

WHEREAS, on August 15, 2002, Dr. Bruce Benson will be retiring from his position at Michigan State University.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby extends its sincere

appreciation to Dr. Bruce Benson for his years of dedicated service as Police Chief and Director of Public Safety at Michigan State University and for the contributions he has made to the citizens of Ingham County.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its best wishes to Dr. Benson and hopes for continued success in all of his future endeavors.

LAW & COURTS: Yeas: Krause, De Leon, Dedden, Stid, Grebner

Nays: None Absent: Minter, Schafer Approved 5/ 2/02