The following is a guest opinion from the director of the Michigan State Police.

What’s the first thing you think of when you see a police officer?

As director of the Michigan State Police, I hope it’s something positive, but I’m realistic enough to know that for some people, that’s not the case. So, for those in the latter category, know this – the MSP is committed to changing perceptions, to helping you see law enforcement in a new, and brighter light.

The Electric Forest Festival, in the Village of Rothbury, is a shining example of police-community relations at its best. The unique partnership formed here happened mostly because all involved are willing to move outside their comfort zones, but more importantly, both groups respect each other.

The MSP provides police services for the four-day concert event. Let’s get this out of the way – all MSP personnel costs are fully reimbursed by the concert promoter.

Dozens of troopers spend up to a week in the area, first getting a lay of the land and then walking the grounds to interact with attendees once the music festival begins. I’ll be the first to admit that this is an unlikely pairing of people, but it works in the most amazing of ways.

The MSP has become a fan favorite throughout the years. Take Tpr. Neil Holton, for example. Ten years ago, when he first volunteered for the detail, he would have been more likely to reference “The String Cheese Incident” as an occurrence in a police report rather than as a popular jam band now considered a regular at Electric Forest.

Like the group, Tpr. Holton is now a fixture there each summer. They call the 32-year police veteran, who is currently assigned to the Lansing Post, the “Kandi Cop.” If you’re not familiar with festival lingo, “Kandi” is a handmade bracelet that attendees trade to impart positivity and unity. For the first time this year, the MSP made and traded our own personalized ‘Kandi,’ roughly 600 pieces. It was awesome.

Our attendance at the festival isn’t all fun and games. We do enforce the law, which means that we do arrest people for things like committing assaults and dealing drugs. We also focus heavily on traffic safety into and out of the festival, which is no easy task considering there are 50,000 people trying to access this area during a 12-hour period.

Ask an attendee what she or he remembers about the troopers they interacted with at Electric Forest Festival and I bet it will be positive.

If the Forest can teach us anything, it’s that we work better together, and the MSP will be working as hard as we can to bring more positivity to policing in the places you call home.

Next time you see a trooper, say hi. With all five fingers, please.