[Adopted 4-20-1981 by Ord. No. 47]
[Amended 10-16-1989]
There is hereby created the Department of Public Safety for the Charter
Township of Blackman.
The offices of Police Chief and Fire Chief are hereby vacated and shall
be replaced by a Director of Public Safety.
[Amended 10-16-1989; 6-6-1995]
The Department of Public Safety shall be headed by such supervisory
personnel as are designated by the Township from time to time. They shall
be appointed by the Township for an indefinite period to serve at the pleasure
of the Township.
The public safety responsibilities of the Department shall include,
but are not limited to, the following functions:
A. Police protection. Provide police protection to the public
at large where required.
B. Operation of patrol units. The operation of patrol units
for routine investigations and the general maintenance and enforcement of
law and order.
C. Investigations. The investigation of crimes, elimination
of illegal liquor and/or drug traffic and vice, and the preparation of cases
for the prosecution of criminal offenses in violation of the laws of the State
of Michigan and the ordinances of the Township.
D. Juvenile delinquency. The prevention and control of juvenile
delinquency, the removal of crime hazards and the coordination of community
agencies interested in crime prevention.
E. Traffic control. The control of traffic, traffic educational
programs, school patrols, prosecution of traffic violations and policing and
reporting traffic accidents.
F. Extinguishment of fires. The nonexclusive efficient and
prompt extinguishment of fires which endanger or are likely to endanger life,
persons or property; the nonexclusive maintenance and operation of fire-fighting
equipment and of such other emergency equipment as may be assigned to it.
[Amended 10-16-1989]
G. Fire hazards. The nonexclusive investigation and inspection
of potential fire hazards and the abatement of existing fire hazards in accordance
with the provisions of the laws of the State of Michigan and ordinances of
the Township.
[Amended 10-16-1989]
H. Additional responsibilities. Additional public safety
responsibilities may be established by the Township Board as deemed necessary
for the safety and welfare of the citizens of Blackman Township.
The Township shall from time to time adopt such rules and regulations
as it may deem expedient for the proper administration of the Department and
for regulating the activities of public safety officers of the Township.
[Amended 6-6-1995]
There shall be no distinction between public safety officers assigned
to perform duties commonly performed by a police department and members of
the Department assigned to perform work commonly performed by a fire department.
Every public safety officer shall perform either police work or fire work
as such duties shall from time to time be assigned to him by supervisory personnel,
including deputy directors. Wherever any duties shall be imposed upon a police
officer or a fireman by any statute of the State of Michigan, or by ordinances
of the Charter Township of Blackman, such duties shall be imposed.
This article shall not abrogate, alter, or amend the terms of any existing
contract which is presently in effect by and between the Township of Blackman
and the Local 2127 International Association of Fire Fighters or by and between
the Township and the Police Officers Association of Michigan.
[Adopted 9-5-1995 by Ord. No. 81]
The office of the Charter Township of Blackman Ordinance Enforcement
Officer is hereby established.
The Township Board is hereby authorized to appoint by motion/resolution
any person or person to the office of Ordinance Enforcement Officer for such
term or terms as may be designated in said motion/resolution and for such
compensation as the Board may determine. The Board may further, by motion/resolution,
remove any person from said office, in the discretion of the Board.
The Ordinance Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to enforce all
civil infractions, the Junk Car Ordinance, the storage of material provisions
of the Zoning Ordinance and such other ordinances of the Township as the Township
Board designates, whether heretofore or hereafter enacted, and whether such
ordinances specifically designate a different enforcing official or do not
designate any particular enforcing officer. Where a particular officer is
so designated in any ordinance, that officer's authority shall continue in
full force and effect and shall not be diminished or impaired by the terms
of this article, and the authority of the Ordinance Enforcement Officer shall
in the performance of the officer's duties be subordinate and responsible
to the Supervisor or such other Township Board member as the Township Board
may from time to time designate.
The Ordinance Enforcement Officer's duties shall include the following:
investigation of Ordinance violations; issuing warnings; issue and serving
ordinance violation notices; issuing and serving appearance tickets and authorized
under 1968 Public Act 147, as amended (MCLA § 764.9c); issuing and
serving municipal ordinance violation notices and municipal civil infraction
citations as authorized under 1994 Public Act 12, as it may from time to time
be amended (MCLA § 600.8701 et seq.); appearance in court or other
judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings to assist in the prosecution of ordinance
violators; and such other ordinance enforcing duties as may be delegated by
the Township Board, Township Supervisor, or assigned by the Township Attorney.
All Ordinances of the Township heretofore or hereafter adopted shall
be considered to be supplemented by the terms of this article.