Mahaffie named Michigan State Police Trooper of the Year

Detective Sergeant Ben Mahaffie of the Fifth District’s Benton Harbor Major Case Unit was named Trooper of the Year by the Michigan State Police. When nominated, he was serving as a sergeant at the Paw Paw Post. The Gerstacker Trooper of the Year Award recognizes the MSP trooper or sergeant who symbolizes outstanding professional ethics, dedication to duty and a concern for giving back to their community. The late Dr. Carl A. Gerstacker, former chairman of Dow Chemical Company, created the award in 1961.

Mahaffie takes immense pride in officer safety and is a Below 100 trainer, bringing awareness to fellow troopers about how they can eliminate preventable line-of-duty deaths. He was recognized twice in 2022 for his exceptional actions on-duty helping save the lives of two citizens.

In his community, Mahaffie serves as president of the Niles chapter of STOP, the State Trooper Outreach Partnership, which is a trooper-led non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need. Additionally, he established a migrant outreach program with the goal of building a stronger relationship between the area’s migrant farming population and police.

Mahaffie enlisted with the MSP in 2014, graduating as a member of the 127th Trooper Recruit School. Prior to serving on the Major Case Unit, he served at the Paw Paw Post, as a member of the Fifth District Fugitive Team and at the Niles Post.