Last Call for Saline Police Department Dispatch

It was unceremonious. There was no dramatic sign off. The final moment of the Saline Police Dispatch center nearly came and went with radio silence.

But at the last minute, right at 10 a.m. Tuesday,  dispatcher Lisa Bain fielded a call and sent an officer to Industrial Drive and Bemis Road for a red Honda "all over the road."

A minute later, Bain became the department's new community relations employee. She'll work the front desk  and take questions and business line calls, while doing other tasks, mostly during business hours for the department.

Washtenaw County Sheriff's Metro Dispatch is the new police dispatch service. Council, on its third attempt to outsource the work in the last 13 years, finally succeeded. City Council voted unanimously to terminate the local service.

The city chose to spend COVID funds on the eastbelt sewer project. The city originally planned to spend the COVID  money on backfilling the Saline Rec Center's deficit caused by the lockdowns and, once the center was open, people's fear of going indoors. Instead, the city used its general fund to fund the Saline Rec Center, reducing the city's fund balance below 15 percent and triggering city staff to explore spending cuts. Outsourcing dispatch was the key recommendation. Police Chief Marlene Radzik, however, made the case that Metro Dispatch, with more training and more people on the job at all times, was better equipped to maintain safety while providing the service for the department.

Impact On Local Service

• Continue to call 911 in an emergency. Mobile calls were already going to Metro Dispatch before being transferred to the SPD Dispatch Center anyway.
• The SPD front desk will be open during regular business hours (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to accommodate drop-in questions. The city has hired Bain as the full-time community relations liaison. Call 734-429-7911.
• After-hours non-emergency calls will be sent Metro Dispatch. Call Metro Dispatch directly at 734-994-2911 for non-emergencies.
• People who call 911 for non-emergency calls may be placed on call until the dispatchers have dealt with emergency calls.

The city has also installed a dispatch call box outside the police station for after-hours calls. It can be used to contact dispatch about found property, lost dogs, crash reports or other matters.

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