A Public Safety Merger in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan—A Short and Sweet Study

The city of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan planned to totally merge its police department and fire department, which also provided emergency medical services. Almost all personnel would be trained as both policemen and firefighters, and many as emergency medical technicians. The firefighters opposed the merger and forced a referendum. In 17 days, we documented the excellent current response times and found that a merger could reduce operating costs by as much as $100,000 per year, further reduce response times, increase patrol coverage, and add an additional detective.