By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor

Michigan Association of Police (MAP) President Rich Heins is excited that MAP now has an official permanent seat on the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) and no longer has to wait to see whether or not the Governor will appoint someone from the union.

Heins was sworn in as an MCOLES Commissioner December 2016, the same month the legislature agreed to allow the various police organizations already serving on MCOLES permanent seats on the commission. He was re-sworn in January 2017 due to the new standards that were set for the commission.

“They mandated somebody from each organization, the labor and management side of it, so you get both sides of the coin when discussing issues,” Heins said.

Heins is taking over the remaining portion of MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner’s two-year term, which expires December 31, 2017, while Timpner focuses on legislative issues affecting MAP members.

“He wrote a letter of recommendation and the Governor’s office appointed me to fill his spot,” Heins said. “Fred knows that I was very interested in getting involved more with the union. I want to make sure (the union) maintains a say in what goes on, how employees and unions are treated.”

“I’ve been union president of Sterling Heights Police Officers Association for a long time and it’s near and dear to my heart,” Heins said. “I told him I’d be more than willing to put in the drive time - they meet in Lansing typically every other month.”

Read more: Heins fills MAP’s permanent position on MCOLES