Crime & Safety

Riverview Picks Trenton Over Wyandotte for Dispatch, Jail Services

A $239,750 state grant will help Trenton and Riverview with the merger of police, fire and emergency dispatch.

Riverview officials found themselves in a pretty desirable place over the last few weeks.

Officials from both Wyandotte and Trenton were hoping to convince them to join forces with them for police, fire and emergency dispatch, as well as jail services.

After a couple meetings earlier this month and a 15-minute discussion at a special meeting Monday, Riverview officials voted unanimously to .

Find out what's happening in Trenton Grosse Ilewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Riverview Councilman Andrew Swift said his city would have saved money by joining forces with either city, but said Trenton was a better match.

"I personally feel we would have more control if we partner with Trenton," he said.

Find out what's happening in Trenton Grosse Ilewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now that Riverview has voted to combine services with Trenton, Trenton officials are set to vote to concur at their Monday night meeting.

Trenton Mayor Kyle Stack said she and Trenton city council members are looking forward to partnering with Riverview Mayor Tim Durand and his council members on this endeavor to help citizens in both of communities.

Stack added she anticipates council members will approve the consolidation at the Trenton City Council meeting next week, "so that we can move forward so that our professional staff can proceed with implementing the grant."

Trenton Councilman Robert Howey said consolidating with Riverview is great news for the City of Trenton.

"I think that's what all the communities should strive to do," Howey said. "We need to find ways to reduce our expenses. If we can consolidate and eliminate duplicate services and make it a win, win for both communities...I don't see why we wouldn't do it."

Several Riverview officials said they've been accused of having their minds made up before Monday's meeting, but many said that wasn't the case.

Councilwoman Lynn Blanchette said she favors Trenton because she used to live there. She also likes the closeness of the communities, saying Trenton's fire station is only 100 feet from the Riverview border.

"This is a wave of the future," she said. "You are going to see more and more consolidation. ... I see many pros for both communities and I see cons for both communities. Tonight will tell the story. I think it’s a positive step forward.”

Durand said he twice toured Wyandotte's Downriver Central Dispatch and that the setup there is a "first-class operation."

"There's no bad choice here," he said. "Residents of Riverview would not lose if we went with Wyandotte."

Trenton and Riverview will be able to reap to update the prisoner lockup facility and to assist in creating a combined dispatch center with Riverview.

Grant dollars also would have been available had Riverview opted to consolidate with Wyandotte.

Wyandotte City Administrator Todd Drysdale said he is disappointed with the vote.

"Riverview must be in an enviable position right now to be able to make decisions like this based on factors irrelevant of finances," he said. "We have a fully operational, successful central dispatch that would have cost them the least to participate in. Instead, they chose to go with an unknown. We wish them the best."


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