LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has selected Michigan State Police’s (MSP) newest director!
Capt. James F. Grady II was tapped to lead MSP Thursday. The state says he was also promoted to colonel.
“Captain Grady is the right pick to lead the brave men and women of the Michigan State Police,” says Governor Whitmer. “After 25 years, he has earned the respect of troopers across the department and community leaders throughout the state, including in southeast Michigan where he spent the majority of his service. He has a knack for bringing everyone together to solve problems, and our state is a better place for it. He will do a great job leading our state’s top law enforcement agency.”
Grady has spent nearly a decade as a leader among MSP troopers and is a current manager of its Training Division, according to the Michigan Executive Office of the Governor. He trained nearly 400 troopers between eight classes of recruits.
“It is an incredible honor to continue serving in the Michigan State Police alongside the finest troopers in the nation,” says Captain Grady. “I want to thank my partners in leadership at the department. We will continue to make sure that the men and women of MSP have what they need to do their job of protecting Michiganders in communities across the state.”
We’re told Grady became a trooper in 1998 at the department’s Detroit and Adrian posts. He became the section commander for its Fraud Investigation team in 2015 as a detective first lieutenant before his 2018 appointment as the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division's assistant commander. He has been the Training Division’s commander since 2020.
Grady will serve as MSP’s director starting Thursday. He replaces Col. Joe Gasper, who the state says is entering retirement after 25 years of serving the department.
“It’s a tough but rewarding career,” Captain Grady adds. “I will work every day to earn the trust and respect of my colleagues and the good people of Michigan.”
