28 police officers from all over Michigan, including two from Berrien County, have graduated from the Michigan State Police Teaching, Educating, and Mentoring School Liaison Program, or TEAM, and are now better trained to serve schools in their communities.
Chikaming Township Deputy Police Chief Jason Roe tells us the department sent its liaison officer to the MSP training to give him more opportunities to interact with the students. Officer Justin Hagman works at River Valley Schools, and Roe says he serves in three main ways.
“First and foremost, school security,” Roe said. “That’s their primary mission, but that doesn’t take up a bulk of their time. Most of their time is spent interacting with the students and staff. And the TEAMS training provides age-based educational programs on a variety of different topics, all the way from kindergarten through seniors, so they can teach the same topic topics at the appropriate grade level.”
Roe says the Chikaming Township Police Department has had a liaison officer for about two years now.
Now that Hagman has state police TEAM training, he can teach that program to the students. TEAM touches on everything from bullying to vaping to social media use to help the kids better protect themselves from harm.
Also graduating from the MSP training this week was a school liaison officer with the Niles Police Department.
