MPD's Mark Stefaniak Receives City Strive Award

(L-R: Chief of Police Nicole Ford, Det. Mark Stefaniak, and City Manager Brad Kaye)

October 4, 2024 -The City of Midland is excited to announce that it has recognized Midland Police Department (MPD) Detective Mark Stefaniak as its latest recipient of a City Strive Award. The award was presented during a department meeting earlier this month.

Det. Stefaniak received the Above and Beyond Award, which recognizes an individual for distinct and extraordinary accomplishments that have made significant and identifiable successes or improvements for the citizens, especially when responding to citizens' issues and concerns and during emergencies or other extreme circumstances.

Det. Stefaniak was nominated by Chief of Police Nicole Ford for his numerous contributions to training, facilities improvements, and crime resolution the Midland Police Department.

"Detective Stefaniak regularly goes above and beyond to make not only members of MPD better, but also officers from other jurisdictions and new academy recruits. The following list is just a few of the highlights of Det. Stefaniak's great work: Long-time instructor at the Delta Police Academy; VIRTRA [law enforcement training simulator] instructor; developed and rolled out new (state-mandated) active shooter training for MPD and many surrounding agencies; and secured new flooring and set up a new training room so we have the ability to complete hands-on training at the LEC. His diligence allowed us to purchase the flooring for half of what it would normally cost. He is a newly certified Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, which puts MPD ahead of the national trend on new hands-on training techniques. He developed and ran additional role-playing scenarios during the field training process for the remediation of one of our new officers. And, if that's not enough: As a direct result of Det. Stafaniak's thorough investigative skills, two of his cases have been taken over by the Attorney General's office for prosecution. We also regularly receive compliments about his level of professionalism when he testifies in court. As you can see, we are lucky to have Det. Stefaniak on our team here at MPD. He makes us better!"

Det. Stefaniak has worked for the City since 2009.

"Detective Stefaniak's many contributions to the Midland Police Department not only keep our residents safe, but they ensure the safety of our police officers as well," said City Manager Brad Kaye. "Thanks to Mark's commitment to providing a variety of quality training opportunities, we know our officers are highly trained and well-prepared to handle any scenario that comes their way. We're grateful for his service."

For more information on the City Strive Award program or to submit a nomination for a deserving City employee, please visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/citystrive.