Ralph L. Soffredine - Chief of Police; Traverse City Police Department

Ralph Soffredine started his service in police in 1963 as a patrol officer. He studied at Central Michigan University (1963 - Bachelors of Science Degree), Eastern Michigan University (1970 - Masters Degree); Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, (1985 - Police Staff and Command School); FBI National Academy in Quontico, Virginia (1991).

Ralph Soffredine has been Chief of Traverse City Police Department since 1982. He is also Chief of Traverse City Fire Department. Prior these jobs he was police chief in Menomonee City (1980-82) and Ishpeming (1976-80), Michigan.

Chief Soffredine has experience has been involved in county jail program development, police school liaison programs. He is a member of the Northwestern Michigan College Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, the Northern Michigan Chiefs of Police and Northern Michigan Fire Chiefs. In 1998-1999 he was the President of Traverse City Rotary Club.

Ralph Soffredine has been teaching Criminal Justice in various educational institutions of Michigan. In May 1998 he has spend 5 weeks in Ukraine as an adjunct professor teaching and facilitating law enforcement classes to seniors from Michigan State University, School of Criminal Justice within the program "In Search of a New Democracy" participated by practical law enforcement officers and cadets.

Joseph P. McCarthy - Patrol Sergeant; Traverse City Police Department

Sergeant McCarthy has been working in police for 18 years. He began his police career in Los Angeles. McCarthy has served with the Traverse City Police Department in a variety of assignments: a Patrolman, Police-School Liaison Officer, Assigned to the local Narcotics Team, Detective, and since 1997 a Sergeant assigned to field services.

The Traverse City Police Department has been recognized as an excellent Community Policing Agency. Sergeant McCarthy has have completed several formal training sessions on Community Policing through Michigan State University and have recently been selected to become a Community Policing Trainer.

Sergeant McCarthy assists other officers in implementing Community Policing principles into their police work. He also assist in problem solving efforts with officers and community members. He is the facilitator for department's Citizen Law Enforcement Academy, and is currently working to start a Citizens Law Enforcement Academy Alumni Association.

He has worked on several other citizen-based projects including two years as the committee chair and relay director for the 24-hour relay-challenge which allowed hundreds of people to be engaged in a healthy well supervised event, which raised thousands of dollars which was reinvested in our community's youth by benefiting programs which addressed substance abuse or promoted citizenship through the awarding of mini-grants. He is experienced in Community Policing and Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency.

Marc G. Smith - DARE Instructor; East Lansing Police Department

Officer Smith has worked in law enforcement for seven years. During that period, he has taught several different subjects to law enforcement, to recruits in the police academy officers (Firearms Safety, Officer Survival Skills, Less Than Lethal), and to elementary school students (Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)).

Officer Smith is intensively involved with community policing program. He had taken three college courses on community policing through the department. As a D.A.R.E. officer, Smith works with the administrators and staff at six elementary schools within the city of East Lansing to teach over 1200 kindergarten through 5th grade students. As a 1993 graduate of the Mid-Michigan Police Academy, Office Smith finished in the top 10 of his class.

He is experienced in Citizen Police Academy, Community Policing and Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency.

James O. Campbell - Police Officer, Community Activities Bureau; East Lansing Police Department

Officer Campbell has served as the School Liaison Officer for the last three years. He has worked closely with administrators to develop a close working relationship to improve and maintain quality of life issues within the schools and community. Officer Campbell has been trained to initiate School Resource Officers, which go into schools and set up different programs.

The main task the officer Campbell has is to provide advice on criminal and civil laws, giving direction on follow up actions to often simple, sometimes complex problems. Officer Campbell has trained in the area of gangs, drugs, truancy, and assaults. For the last three years, he has been responsible for police intervention in all 11 East Lansing schools. He has taught several classes to college students and professionals on community policing.

Officer Campbell also holds the following positions at the ELPD: Hostage/Crisis Negotiator, Member of the Conflict Management Team, Member of the Department Recruiting Team, Mobile Field Force Instructor, Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Student Intern Coordinator, Police Athletic League Coordinator, and Department Background Investigator. Officer Campbell is involved in several successful Community Policing initiatives.

He is experienced in Citizen Police Academy, Community Policing and Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency.