West Bloomfield Resident Chases State Trooper Dream

Jerry Kuza, who as a teenager worked in a West Bloomfield convenience store, dreams today of working with and helping people in a much different way – as a Michigan state trooper. 

After graduating college with a criminal justice degree, Kuza, who grew up in West Bloomfield, said a state trooper asked him if he had considered a career as a  trooper. "I told him I hadn’t thought about it, so he took me for a ride-along," Kuza said. "Ever since then, I started throwing my applications in. I was hooked."

Kuza, 31, is one of 38 paid recruits currently in the 20-week trooper training program in Lansing. The recruits, carefully chosen from throughout Michigan, train from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. in use of firearms, water safety, defensive tactics, precision driving, crime-scene processing and first aid. 

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally," said Kuza. "At the end of the week, I have such a big uplift — I’m physically stronger and I feel great mentally."

The Michigan State Trooper Training Academy in Lansing hosts the recruits of the residential program, now in its 122nd session, Monday through Friday.

Recruits are permitted to go home weekends; Kuza visits his parents, who now live in Waterford.  On weekdays, recruits rigorously study for exams and execute routines of deliberate movements in conjunction with one another. If one recruit missteps or fails to follow directions, the entire squad is punished with strenuous exercise.

The intense training allows recruits to learn to see each other as part of a brotherhood, said  Sgt. Kevin Rod, the recruit school commander.  

“Everything that the recruits are going through is a part of something that all Michigan state troopers go through,” he said. “A recruit here will never forget their instructors or the other 37 that they trained with. It’s something for them to carry on into their next path.”

Kuza is eager to take the things he learns to a new career.

“Growing up, I worked in a convenience store and I met some very interesting people," Kuza said. "Now, my dream is to work on road patrol."

From there, Kuza would like to work in a school program, teaching students about law enforcement.

 "The whole program is enjoyable for the fact that I’m learning the law,” said Kuza, a graduate of , , and . He also has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University.

Recruits who successfully complete the training with a score of 70 percent or better will graduate May 13, at which point they will be assigned to work sites across the state.

“Having a diverse classroom here is important because it brings different perspectives to training,” said Rod. “Someone from Detroit is going to have a different perspective than someone from Milford, someone from Traverse City, to the U.P., and so on. We pick carefully — the 38 here came from 800 applications. We pick those applications apart with physical fitness, background checks, and interviews.”

Kuza said that he was looking forward to hosting and celebrating with his parents at his graduation.

Rod said that this is the first class to be held at the academy since 2008 due to lack of funding.

“We ended up finding out about a federal grant we received late last year that allowed us to get this together quickly,” he said. “But, there’s nothing slapdash about it. These recruits are getting the same education that every trooper got.”