Hansen named Hannahville police chief | News, Sports, Jobs

HANNAHVILLE – The Hannahville Tribal Police Department recently welcomed Jeff Hansen as its new police chief.

“I consider being the police chief in Hannahville to be the greatest honor of my career in criminal justice. I am very proud to be part of the professional community in Hannahville,” he said.

Hansen’s path to becoming Hannahville’s police chief was less straightforward than that of many other police officers. The son of a former Escanaba public safety director, Hansen initially rejected the idea of ​​following in his father’s footsteps. But after trying out various majors in college, he ultimately settled on criminal justice.

Hansen joined the Delta County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked for 20 years as a correctional officer in the county jail and then spent five more years with the department handling security and prisoner transportation at the Delta County Courthouse.

After 25 years on the force, Hansen spoke to someone who worked in Hannahville who mentioned that the tribal police were looking for a police chief. Hansen applied for the position in December of last year and was offered it, but it was a tough road ahead of him as he needed to gain the qualifications to work on the force.

Hansen was sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ U.S. Indian Police Academy in Artesia, New Mexico, for 13 weeks. He described the academy as “grueling.”

“At 47, I was the oldest guy in the academy, and these academies aren’t really built for people who are 47 years old, because you stand at attention and you get put down for push-ups if your boots aren’t shined well enough and all that stuff. It’s a very military-oriented, boot camp-style police academy.” said Hansen.

About 50 percent of the class’s cadets gave up, were expelled, or failed the exams required to complete the program. Hansen, however, received the Director’s Award as the academy’s top graduate.

“So one point for the old ones, I guess,” he said.

Hansen graduated from the academy on April 5 and began working at Hannahville on April 8. He was officially sworn in a month later.

“I would say it was an unconventional way to get here. But it was one of those things where it just felt right. When I got out here and started talking to people, I thought, OK, I’ll do this.” he said.

He got started right away and credited the support of department officials and the community-minded spirit of the Hannahville Indian Community.

“I honestly can’t imagine being in this position… anywhere other than HPD,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. Tribal law is fundamentally different from what Hansen knew from his time with the Delta County Sheriff’s Department. Instead of enforcing Michigan state law, Hansen now oversees enforcement of tribal and federal laws.

“The biggest adjustment for me is that I have to learn a lot of new things and get to know the different processes from a criminal justice perspective in Hannahville compared to, say, a non-tribal place. And that was one of the big advantages of attending the BIA Police Academy – it is tribal-based police training,” he said.

Despite the differences, Hansen’s main goal for the department is similar to the goals of many other rural police chiefs: combating serious drug-related crime.

“Our efforts at HPD focus on community safety by eradicating serious drug use wherever possible,” he said.

Combating drug crime is often a multi-jurisdictional project, and even when it isn’t, tapping into the expertise and resources of other departments can be critical. In addition to working with the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), Hansen pointed to the close working relationship the Hannahville Police Department has with the Delta County and Menominee County Sheriff’s Departments, as well as the Michigan State Police.

But Hansen knows a different kind of networking.

“I have also been an MMA fighter for 20 years. … I am a master instructor of defensive tactics for police, corrections and military and travel around the country conducting seminars and hands-on training on the subject.” said Hansen.

Hansen’s mixed martial arts background and focus on defensive tactics have taken him to places like Las Vegas, Chicago and New Orleans. He has trained police officers, correctional officers and military personnel such as the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and Green Berets.

“You also learn a lot when you train with other people. It gives you the opportunity to bring good professional contacts and some other theories about best practices in police work back to your home department. So it was really positive,” said Hansen.

Outside of MMA, Hansen enjoys creative writing, playing guitar, and traveling with his wife Kristina, who currently serves as the principal for Manistique Area Schools. It was Kristina’s time teaching at Nah Tah Wahsh PSA that introduced Hansen to the Hannahville community.

“I had a connection to Hannahville before I started working here and have always appreciated the community and the spirit of the community,” said Hansen, recalling the impact of his time volunteering at the youth center when his wife was a teacher, more recent events like the recent Community Pow Wow and learning about the community’s history from tribal elders.

Hansen says he wants to be involved in all aspects of Hannahville’s community life, including cultural and social events. His focus on the community is both personal and professional.

“I think the best police officers are those who are fully committed to their profession and fully believe in the mission and the concept that victims of crime deserve as much justice as we can provide in the community. The thriving community we want is something worth working as hard as we can for every day,” said Hansen