Cross border help

When cities receive Federal funds to purchase equipment for fire and police departments, do these cities have an obligation to help out neighboring cities?

For example, could a Detroit resident call the Dearborn fire department for help to put out a fire at his house on Dragoon?

Or the same Detroit resident who is being robbed in his house call the Warren police department if Detroit police are unable to respond?

Note: All fire and police officers are regulated and sworn under state law. A peace officer in Michigan has full arrest powers anywhere in the state of Michigan.

I lived on the Harper Woods/Detroit border. I had a car get broken into, and HW would not respond because I was on the other side of the street. Eventhough my property survey showed HW about halfway up my front lawn. The HW city thinks the middle of the street is the border. The neighbor had an intruder in his house and HW police showed up, but were not allowed to go into the house.

A city cannot prohibit "non residents" from its city parks if that city receives federal funds. Dearborn got into trouble because of this in the 1980s. When a city receives federal funds for other city services it seems only natural that it must help others if called upon.

Check to see if your city received federal money:
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/cont...aspx?year=2009

You can't personally call on a neighboring PD or FD for help and expect them to act within your jurisdiction.

They will respond to the requests from the DPD or DFD for assistance.

If there was a riot or a large fire, neighboring jurisdictions will respond, but only if invited by the jurisdiction having the riot or fire.

I am not sure we would want police from the burbs coming in to "clean up Detroit".

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Originally Posted by woodwardboy

When cities receive Federal funds to purchase equipment for fire and police departments, do these cities have an obligation to help out neighboring cities?

For example, could a Detroit resident call the Dearborn fire department for help to put out a fire at his house on Dragoon?

Or the same Detroit resident who is being robbed in his house call the Warren police department if Detroit police are unable to respond?

Note: All fire and police officers are regulated and sworn under state law. A peace officer in Michigan has full arrest powers anywhere in the state of Michigan.

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Here is a discussion of mutual aid, in reference to Saginaw police chiefs telling the county they would not act as first responders if the county cut the Sheriff's budget:

http://www.michigan.reputationrater....ews&Itemid=159

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Originally Posted by woodwardboy

A city cannot prohibit "non residents" from its city parks if that city receives federal funds. Dearborn got into trouble because of this in the 1980s. When a city receives federal funds for other city services it seems only natural that it must help others if called upon.

Check to see if your city received federal money:
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/cont...aspx?year=2009

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What about Grosse Pointe? Their parks are under lock and key and it appears their Fire Department receives federal funds.

I just moved to the east side of Detroit and wanted to go sit by the water and collect my thoughts. So I rode my bike to a park in GP on the water to find that it was fenced and for residents only. So I tried to find a public spot by the water, and to my disamy found that at the ends of the streets by the water they have signs that say, "no loitering, no fishing, no parking, no standing" I sat nervously there for a minute.

It was pretty clear to me what they're going for in Grosse Pointe: keeping people like me out. I guess it isn't God's water, it's Grosse Pointe's water. Maybe Detroit should stop Grosse Pointers from sledding on Balduck, going to the Yacht Club on Belle Isle, or cruising at Rouge Park and Palmer Park.

Please note I don't really advocate that at all, just trying to illustrate a pointe.

If a city accepts Federal money for upkeep of parks it must open them to the public at large. The Pointes do not use Federal money for their parks. They are entirely self-funded and therefore can legally be restricted to residents [[and their invited guests) only.

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Originally Posted by DC48080

If a city accepts Federal money for upkeep of parks it must open them to the public at large. The Pointes do not use Federal money for their parks. They are entirely self-funded and therefore can legally be restricted to residents [[and their invited guests) only.

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This - and their pretty awesome too. One of the best perks of living in the Pointes are the summers @ the pier [[or park of choice)! It makes no difference if federal money is used for other city services but if 0.01$ is used for a park is must be public for all. IIRC there was an issue with this years ago when a lawsuit was raised by non-residents against the GPF Parks & Rec which the city won. I also seem to recall that there is insurance at stake, such as when that family of Albanians were swept off the park and drowned during a major storm ~20 years ago. They were in the park illegally using someone else's pass so the city was exempt from liability.

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Originally Posted by Hermod

You can't personally call on a neighboring PD or FD for help and expect them to act within your jurisdiction.

They will respond to the requests from the DPD or DFD for assistance.

If there was a riot or a large fire, neighboring jurisdictions will respond, but only if invited by the jurisdiction having the riot or fire.

I am not sure we would want police from the burbs coming in to "clean up Detroit".

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If my house is burning down on Tireman, and the Detroit fire department is unable to come to my house, I call Dearborn fire to help me. So does that mean the Dearborn fire department stays on its side of the border and watch my house burn down?
I believe all people want assistance, it should not matter where the help comes.

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Originally Posted by DetroitPole

It was pretty clear to me what they're going for in Grosse Pointe: keeping people like me out. I guess it isn't God's water, it's Grosse Pointe's water. Maybe Detroit should stop Grosse Pointers from sledding on Balduck, going to the Yacht Club on Belle Isle, or cruising at Rouge Park and Palmer Park.

Please note I don't really advocate that at all, just trying to illustrate a pointe.

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You are forgetting the fact that their parks are not Federally funded and thus are legally entitled to be private. Detroit accepts Federal finds for it's parks and therefore must make them available to the public at large.

As for the Yacht Club on Belle Isle, that is a private club and is not open to any non-members regardless of whether they live in Detroit or not. Just as the GPYC is not open to even Grosse Pointers if they are not members.

Detroit Pole, try going up Alter to the River, Mariners Park and Lakewood East have beautiful River frontage or go down Dickerson Lennox to AB Ford Park from AB Ford Park you can skirt around Grayhaven and go to Maharis Gentry Park.