P.E.A.C.E. Team reaches six-month mark, tracks progress since inception  

June 8, 2023

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) and the East Lansing Police Department’s (ELPD) collaborative policing team, the P.E.A.C.E Team, has officially reached six months of operation.

The P.E.A.C.E. Team stands for the Proactive Engagement and Community Enhancement Team. Its goal is to respond to incidents, initiate police activity, and engage with communities served based on crime statistics, law enforcement intelligence, and community concerns.

“Starting a new unit always comes with some challenges like defining goals, developing procedures, and understanding how the unit fits in with the overall mission of the agencies involved,” said Detective Sergeant James Terrill, who oversees the PEACE Team. “I am proud of the work our team has done so far and am looking forward to continuing to make a difference in the communities we serve.”

Since its inception, the P.E.A.C.E. Team has made a significant impact by not only seizing illegal firearms and making arrests, but also taking part in community engagement events. You can see a breakdown of the P.E.A.C.E. Team’s progress in the list below.

• November 2022
   

  • Firearms seized = 6

  • Persons arrested = 10

  • Total criminal charges sought = 23

  • Community engagement activities/events = 5

• December 2022

  • Firearms seized = 1

  • Persons arrested = 7

  • Total criminal charges sought = 16

  • Community engagement activities/events = 5

• January 2023 – April 2023 (Q1)

  • Firearms seized = 5

  • Persons arrested = 12

  • Total criminal charges sought = 38

  • Community engagement activities/events = 10

The P.E.A.C.E. Team currently consists of one Detective Sergeant and three Detectives. The team is committed to de-escalation, community mental health, and constitutional policing, by continuously improving its training and techniques. Since inception, all members of the team have completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, which consists of 40 hours of instruction and scenarios that focus on getting those in need into the mental health system, versus the criminal justice system.

The P.E.A.C.E. Team primarily works Thursday through Saturday evenings on campus and in the city of East Lansing. The team wears both uniform and regular clothing in order to be flexible and meet the community’s needs.

“Throughout the past six months, the P.E.A.C.E. Team has worked to be flexible and refine our processes over time,” said Terrill. “We are excited to continuously improve as one. If we consistently work to improve, then we will find success.”

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Media Contact:

Nadia Vizueta, Communications Manager, Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety  

517-282-3711 | VizuetaN@dpps.msu.edu