State Police Continue Additional Presence In Benton Harbor

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Michigan State Police have bolstered their presence in Benton Harbor with the addition of the new Fifth District Crime Prevention Squad. Lieutenant DeWayne Robinson tells WSJM News the squad is in addition to the MSP Secure Cities Partnership in the city, and increases the number of troopers in town. The squad was added in April and will continue through October.

“Our goal is just to make the streets safer, to combat violent crime where it’s present, and to prevent it just by our presence as well,” Robinson said.

Robinson says the state police presence in Benton Harbor is about crime prevention and also about building a bond with residents. He says troopers are told to get out of the cars and talk with children when they’re seen playing.

“They always want to see the good in people and look for the good in people, and so we want to make sure that they see the good in us.”

Robinson says during the first two weeks of the Fifth District Crime Prevention Squad being in operation, troopers made nine felony warrant arrests, four arrests for carrying a concealed weapon, and one arrest for fleeing and eluding. MSP have had an extra presence in Benton Harbor since 2015 when the Secure Cities Partnership was formed.