Hermina Kramp: 2023 Wall of Fame Inductee

November 27, 2023 - JJ Thomas

Hermina Kramp is an inductee into the 2023 Criminal Justice Wall of Fame.

Hermina Kramp was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the only child of German immigrants from Romania who were driven from their home during World War II. Growing up in Detroit during the 1960s, navigating the city’s history and cultural dynamics, influenced Hermina’s perspectives.

Hermina knew from a young age that she wanted to serve the public in some capacity, but it was a chance encounter with a Detroit Police Officer at her school’s Career Day that sparked her interest in policing.
While she had a future career in mind, Hermina also knew that the dynamics of law enforcement were changing and that an Undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice would help her understand the changing landscape of the profession. Hermina says that she chose to attend Michigan State University when she found out that MSU had a highly ranked School of Criminal Justice.

While at MSU, Hermina worked as a student parking enforcer for the MSU Police Department and held other part-time roles, all related to the Criminal Justice System. She also was involved in the Square-Dancing Group and was the RHA Representative for West Fee Hall. Her passion and commitment did not go unnoticed, and Hermina was hired full-time with the MSU Police Department

Hermina's hard work and dedication paid off once again when MSUPD sent her to a police academy as an employed recruit. This was a significant move as very few departments paid for their employees to attend a police academy. After graduating from the police academy, Hermina was sworn in as a law enforcement officer for MSUPD and cross-deputized by the Ingham County Sheriff.

In 1987, Hermina joined the Michigan Law Enforcement Officer Training Council (now MCOLES). She was specifically recommended for a role by Dr. David Carter. Starting as a curriculum developer, her specialty in test development led Hermina to oversee the development and validity maintenance of the Licensing Exam for law enforcement. Hermina was promoted several times at MCOLES, serving as Action Director of MCOLES on two separate occasions for a total of two-and-a-half years and served as the Deputy Executive Director before retiring.

Now, Hermina enjoys traveling internationally and learning about other cultures. She is also an avid birder and enjoys traveling with fellow bird watchers across the globe. Hermina says that one of the best parts of traveling is “meeting new people that will be quite different culturally from an American yet be very just like me as a person.”

Hermina’s advice for students is to be open-minded to new opportunities and to embrace diverse perspectives. She encourages students and practitioners alike to “not assume you know what something is about without listening and exploring it more deeply.” Hermina says that some of the most important work she did throughout her career came from experiences where she valued humility and readily absorbed insight from various perspectives.