Saline Police Department Bids Farewell to Veteran Officers

The Saline Police Department said goodbye to two officers with decades of experience in the field of serving and protecting.

In mid-June, Sgt. Kevin Murphy ended a 28-year career with the Saline Police Department. On July 15, Dennis Gruschow retired from police work after 9 years in Saline and 17 years in Northfield Township.

Sgt. Murphy, a Tecumseh resident who began work with the Saline Police Department in 1985, was honored by Mayor Brian Marl, Saline City Council and Police Chief Larry Hrinik at the June 17 council meeting.

“This community is a very safe and secure place and that is what has allowed us to prosper and thrive. It’s a safe and secure place, in large part, because of Kevin and because of all the police officers who dedicate themselves to making this a secure and peaceful place for people to live, children to play and businesses to thrive,” Marl said before presenting Murphy with a clock. “We are indebted to you.”

Gruschow was honored at an open house in the city hall council chamber July 1.

Saline Police Detective Don Lupi had a special connection with Gruschow, who gave Lupi his break in the police business by hiring him to work for Northfield Police. When Gruschow left the department, Lupi recommended him for an opening in Saline.

“I have the utmost respect for Dennis. He had had a complete understanding of the system because he worked in every position, from patrolman to chief. When he did his work, he understood why things were done the way they were done, and that made him an excellent police officer,” Lupi said.

Murphy was responsible for training many of the officers on the current SPD force. Lupi said officers enjoyed working with Murphy.

“He brought a lot of tenacity when he worked on a case. He was thorough and relentless,” Lupi said.

Even before he began working with the SPD, Murphy was quite familiar with Saline.

“In the 70s, we used to drive up here from Tecumseh to go to McDonalds because we didn’t have one,” Murphy said. “It was a small town and very quiet.”

A Long Career in Saline
He was hired to work for the SPD in 1985, about the same time Saline’s rapid growth began.

“The 80s is when the boom took place and we began to double in size. Suddenly, we were seeing 20,000 cars a day and things got a little busier,” Murphy said. “But Saline was still a small town. It was great working here because I knew hundreds of people and you could walk into just about anywhere and catch up with someone you knew.”

Though a quiet town, there were criminals to deal with.  In the 90s, two robbers held a butcher knife to the neck of the McDonald’s manager and escaped with a couple thousand dollars. Murphy managed to figure out who did it and he tracked them down in Pittsfield Township, arrested them and recovered the cash without incident. In another case, a man robbed a hardware store and was caught by Murphy and Sgt. Jay Basso after a 25-mile chase that ended on U.S. 23.

“Saline is a great place to be a police officer. You can see why it wins all of these awards,” Murphy said. “I really appreciated the way everyone worked together – from the police department, to city staff, to the fire department and DPW.  It was a good team.”

Murphy plans to return to school to finish his degree and do some grad work. He plans to look private investigating work.

“I want to keep moving ahead. I’m not ready for a rocking chair,” said Murphy, whose son is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and daughter is working toward her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Michigan.

He was asked if he’d recommend the policing career to a youngster today.

“It’s a rewarding career. But it’s a difficult one. It’s tough. You work midnights. You work in the rain and the snow. You deal with people in their worst element and rarely get to see them in their best, so you need to have a thick skin,” Murphy said. “If you’re going to do it, finish your education first.”

During his career, Murphy received two letters of accommodation and professional excellence award from the Michigan State Police in 1981.

A Great Place to Work

Officer Gruschow came to Saline in part two of his law enforcement career. He began working for Northfield Township Police in 1986 and worked his way up the ranks to acting chief. But he left his post in 2003 after a disagreement with elected officials.

In 2004, heard about a part-time job in Saline and knew a veteran officer was about to retire.

“I knew officers in Saline and I had a lot of respect for Chief (Paul) Bunten, so I applied,” Gruschow said.

Gruschow came to enjoy work in Saline.

“It was a smaller area and serious crime was few and far between. When you drive through a neighborhood, everyone waves. You can stop and shoot baskets with kids. It’s an entirely different atmosphere,” Gruschow said. “I wish I spent my entire career here.”

Though not in Saline long, Gruschow made his mark. In May, Gruschow received a letter of commendation for impeccable work managing the evidence room.  In October, Gruschow received the Department Citation, the SPD’s highest award, for his work in helping safely apprehend a knife-wielding teen.

Gruschow and his wife Debbie plan to move to Florida.

When asked if he’d recommend police work to a youngster, Gruschow balked before saying that he would not.

“It’s very tough for a family life with the shift work.  The divorce rate is around 85 percent,” Gruschow said. “If you work afternoons, you can miss your kids growing up. It’s tough on families.”

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