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Green Appointed Captain, Assistant Director of Ferris Department of Public Safety

Ferris State UniversityGary Green, newly-appointed as captain and assistant director of Ferris State University’s Department of Public Safety, spoke of “redemption” as he reflected on his feelings about this new opportunity.

Green served 28 years with the Michigan State Police and retired with the rank of lieutenant and as Mount Pleasant’s assistant post commander. That’s where the next chapter in his career started. Green has a relationship with Ferris Director of Public Safety Bruce Borkovich that spans more than 20 years. That familiarity, combined with extensive law-enforcement experience, helped Green land in nearby familiar territory with a team he knows and respects.

“This appointment feels really good, it’s like redemption,” said Green, who was hired as a Ferris DPS officer in September 2017. “When I came here, out of high school, I wasn’t ready to be a student. Now, I’ve had an opportunity to come back to Ferris as a police officer and now as captain and assistant director of DPS. I’m also looking forward to going back to school to further my education. I feel really good about the way things are coming together.”

As captain and assistant director, Green assists Borkovich in the administration of a department that includes three sergeants, eight officer positions, a dispatch specialist and cadets.

“We have great people who really strive to do things the right way for the right reasons,” Green said. “We’re fortunate to have a great group of police officers.”

Under Borkovich, the department has emphasized positive, proactive engagement between officers and the faculty, staff and students of the university community. DPS officers are visible at many Ferris events throughout the calendar year, including commencement, homecoming activities and numerous athletics contests, even at night and on weekends.

“It has been kind of refreshing having these opportunities to get out on campus and to interact with our students, especially,” Green said. “It’s great because I get to know so many of them and they get to know me. When they get to know me, and our other officers, they find out that we’re people just like them. It really has been a great pleasure getting to know so many people in our community.”

Borkovich, having known Green for 23 years, believes Ferris is fortunate to have someone of the new captain’s abilities serving in such an important DPS position.

“Gary is an excellent officer with a great amount of training and supervisory experience,” Borkovich said. “We were blessed to have him as an officer and we’re even more blessed, now, to have someone of his caliber as assistant director and captain.”

During his time with the MSP, Green served on the fugitive recovery team, was an auto-theft technician, part of the executive protection detail, served on the cold-case unit in addition to other assignments and details. As a Ferris officer, Green was responsible for patrolling campus, responding to emergency calls and protecting people and property. His assigned residence hall was North Hall.

Green steps in for the now-retired Captain and Assistant Director James M. Cook, who retired this spring after 28 years of service to the Ferris community.

Click Ferris DPS to learn about the department, its administration, officers and more.


PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured is Gary Green, the newly-appointed captain and assistant director of the Ferris State University Department of Public Safety. The announcement was made by Ferris DPS Director Bruce Borkovich.