Grand Rapids Police Department

Interested in working for GRPD? We will have an open house at headquarters on Thursday January 9th from 4-7. This is just in time for the sponsored police recruit posting which will open the following day!

Interested in working for GRPD? We will have an open house at headquarters on Thursday January 9th from 4-7. This is just in time for the sponsored police recruit posting which will open the following day!

Happy Holidays from GRPD!

Congratulations to Captain Terry Dixon on his retirement after 26 years of service! Captain Dixon has worked in several capacities during his career, including patrol officer in the North and South Neighborhood Service Areas, General Case detective, the department's public information officer, watch commander, and finally, upon his promotion to captain in 2021, the commander of the East Neighborhood Service Area. He co-founded the CLEAR program, which provides mentorship and resources for those on probation and parole. He was also instrumental in the reestablishment of the Clergy on Patrol program, in which religious leaders of various faith communities volunteer their time to go along with patrol officers during calls for service, attend neighborhood events and meetings along with officers, and introduce patrol officers within the faith community. His additional duty assignments included: field training officer, background investigator, and crisis negotiator. Captain Dixon was a member and past president of the West Michigan chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. GPRD thanks Captain Dixon for his years of dedicated service and wishes him the best in his next endeavors.

Congratulations to Sergeant Keith Hefner on his retirement after 28 years of service! He started his career on patrol and also worked in the Vice Unit before his promotion to sergeant. He served as a supervisor for the West Service Area before being assigned to the Detective Unit, where he would continue to work in various capacities until retirement. Sgt. Hefner held additional duty assignments as a field training officer, an Honor Guard member, a crisis negotiator, an emergency vehicle operations instructor, and as a member of the department's Peer Support Team. We are grateful for his years of dedicated service and wish him the best in his next chapter!

What a fantastic day! 🎉 The Grand Rapids Police and Fire Department had the incredible opportunity to shop with 25 kids on Tuesday. Our thanks to the generous sponsorship and gift cards from Meijer. It was heartwarming to see police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, emergency management, and even GRPD’s Clergy on Patrol connecting with kids from the Grand Rapids Public Schools. There were lots of smiles from both the kids and our public safety personnel. 😊 A huge thank you to Meijer for making this special day possible! 🛍️✨ #CommunityEngagement #ShopWithAHero #GRPD #GRFD #ThankYouMeijer #GRPS #BuildingConnections

Visit our recruitment website to learn about all things Grand Rapids PD and join our team today. Visit JoinGRPD.com to learn more. #GRPD #GrandRapids #MichiganPolice #WiredForThis

We Will Never Forget Detective Samuel Slater Jr End of Watch: December 9, 1921 Slater and Brandsma were shot and killed after responding to a house to arrest suspected bank robbers, Slater and Brandsma were acting on a tip that said bank robbers were at a house in the city. It was his 54th birthday and he had been with GRPD for 24 years. 14 years earlier, Slater's brother Henry, also of the GRPD, was killed by a train while standing on his post.

We Will Never Forget Officer Gerrit Brandsma End of Watch: December 7, 1921 Brandsma and S Slater were shot and killed after responding to a house to arrest suspected bank robbers. They were acting on a tip that said the bank robbers were at a house in the city. As they arrived at the home of the tipster, who lived across from the suspect's home, the suspects saw them and turned out all the lights. The two officers watched the home for a short time, and then decided to go knock on the door. As they were walking up the sidewalk leading to the door, shots rang out. Slater was shot through the door. Brandsma rushed the door and forced his way into the home but was shot several times and was killed instantly. Slater staggered back to the tipster's home where he collapsed. He was brought to the hospital and died two days later.

We extend our congratulations to the nine newly graduated recruits from GVSU's police academy. They will embark on an additional eight weeks of in-house training, followed by a 16-week field training program. Congratulations to all graduates from yesterday's ceremony.