BERRIEN COUNTY — Members of Berrien County police agencies will now have a flashy new tool to make them more visible while working at a roadway scene in the dark.

On Friday, members of the Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force presented 30 neon-colored L.E.D. safety vests to Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Steve Campbell and Capt. Randy Miller. In addition to their bright coloring and police lettering, the vests are also equipped with flashing blue and red lights. 

Miller and Campbell said the vests are an upgrade that will likely make them more noticeable to motorists who pass by a police scene.

“I’ve never seen these [L.E.D. vests] until just now,” Campbell said.

Miller agreed.

“It’s a really cool product,” Miller said.

The Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, with an aim to fight local human trafficking and spread awareness, raised the funds for the safety vests during a Shine a Light on Human Trafficking 5K event last year. The task force donated $1,890 of the funds raised to purchase the vests. Each vest cost $63.

Cathy Knauf, the founder and director of the Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, said law enforcement members are important partners and the organization recognized a need for the safety equipment. Additionally, Knauf said making cops visible and accessible could only help the task force’s own mission.   

“Our hope is that while they are out doing traffic stops they find a victim [they can help],” Knauf said.  “If it saves a life, we believe it is well worth it.”

Campbell said he will distribute two vests to each police agency in Berrien County.

Making sure Berrien County officers are visible to drivers has been a concern in the past, Campbell said. He cited David Wyman, the Chikaming Township police officer who was injured last year as an example.

At about 9:25 p.m. Nov. 12, Wyman was working at the scene of an accident on Interstate 94 near Sawyer when he was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured. Wyman had been wearing a safety vest while working along the roadside with emergency lights flashing and flares in place to indicate the police scene.

“It was a short time after that crash that the people from the human trafficking committee decided that they wanted to assist law enforcement,” Campbell said.   

Campbell said officers are required to put on safety vests when working along the roadway, but he said the new vests are a definite upgrade from their older vests.

Campbell, who is also the head of the accident investigation team, said the new vests will be well utilized by officers. Investigations can take hours to complete at a roadway, so remaining visible is really key, he said.

For his part, Miller said he appreciated the Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force taking the initiative to help.

“I think that they [the task force] recognized a need,” Miller said. “They collectively came up with this idea, with the hope that it will help minimize risk on the officers working in dangerous conditions on the highway.”