The director of the Michigan State Police spent an hour and a half Tuesday testifying and taking questions from lawmakers about morale in a department that appears skeptical of his leadership.
Colonel James Grady had to answer for trooper and officer surveys showing widespread dissatisfaction with his leadership. Grady told House lawmakers he does not trust the accuracy of the trooper and command officer union surveys. He said the department has its measuring tools that do not show similar results.
But, mostly, Grady said that is because he is not hearing complaints from the troopers and officers under his command.
“They tell me how happy they are with the work that they’re doing – that they’re satisfied with the work that they’re doing, that they’re satisfied with the support that they have in our agency,” he said. “So, I get it face to face because I am that type of person that will strike up a conversation with anyone.”
But Representative Jaime Greene (R-Richmond) said it is not just the union surveys that are concerning. Committee members have been meeting with MSP staff, who she said shared in private interviews that they feared retaliation. She read some of the responses to him.
“These are from your own officers that they feel as if they are being retaliated against,” she said. “How have they come to that conclusion?”
Grady repeated he does believe not officers under his command fear retaliation. Grady also said he does not believe the Michigan State Police has a serious morale problem. The proof of that, he said, is officers showing up and doing their jobs and the reduced violent crime rate in Michigan.
But Representative Jason Woolford (R-Howell) told Grady he should take those union survey findings seriously.
“When people lose faith in their leader, the result is a cascade of issues, and we’re seeing that,” he said. “There’s low morale, poor cohesion and, at the end of the day, a mission that’s going to be compromised.”
Both the Michigan State Police Troopers Association and the Michigan State Police Command Officers Association have called on Grady to resign.
Grady was a 25-year veteran of the department in 2023, when Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to the post. In a statement sent to Michigan Public Radio, Whitmer Press Secretary Stacey LaRouche said the governor remains confident in Grady.
“Thanks to the work of Colonel Grady and troopers across the state, in partnership with local law enforcement, Michigan has seen major drops in violent crime recently,” she said. “He’s also had troopers’ backs by fighting for pay raises for the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep our state safe,” she said. “We have full confidence on Colonel Grady to continue getting the job done.”
