The Process

It is the responsibility of the Ferndale Police Department to respond to citizen issues promptly and efficiently. It is also important to be aware that there may be issues that don't offer an immediate resolution. These conflicts include:

Agency policies
Environmental requirements
Public safety practices
Delivery of service
Employee conduct

The resolution of these issues is important to the department in order to maintain the highest professional standards.

STEP 1

If your complaint has not been resolved by the employee you first contacted, you may request to speak to the on-duty supervisor.

This can be done in person or over the phone.
If a supervisor is not available immediately, you will have the option to schedule a return phone call or an appointment.

STEP 2

The supervisor on-duty will attempt to resolve your issue. If a resolution has not been met, a Citizen Complaint Form should be filled out and submitted.

This is available in person or online.
This form will be investigated by the officer’s shift Lieutenant; once completed, it will be reviewed by the Patrol Division Commander and Chief of Police.

STEP 3

After your complaint is processed, you will be informed of the final disposition by phone and mail. These determinations can include: sustained (sufficient evidence), not sustained (insufficient evidence), exonerated (lawful incident), or unfounded (false allegation). If additional information is desired, our staff will be happy to provide further detail or reevaluate as needed.

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Water Safety Information

The City of Ferndale performs regular water sampling and testing in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, and we continue to surpass water quality standards as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The City provides comprehensive information about lead, chemicals, and other contaminants. For more information, see below.

Lead and Your Public Drinking Water‍

Surpasses EPA water quality standards, per GLWA testing

‍The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) oversees mandatory annual testing of each of their community water suppliers. Most recent testing, courtesy of the 2018 Consumers Annual Water Quality Report, shows levels that once again exceed regulation requirements and standards. To learn more about lead testing and water safety, view Lead and Your Water Supply: An Informational Guide.
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PFAS and Your Public Drinking Water

Not detected in any water supply, per GLWA testing

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) oversees mandatory testing of their water supply to ensure that PFAS, or chemical perfluoroalkyl substances, are not present in community drinking water supplies. Most recent testing of water in five sources (Detroit-based Water Works Park, Springwells, and Northeast water treatment plants, Allen Park-based Southwest Water Treatment Plant, and Lake Huron), performed 2222, confirmed that PFAS was not detected at any level/in any water source. You can view the report for more information.
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PFAS Report: Southeast Ferndale

February 2019: The City of Ferndale learned from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now EGLE) of the discovery of PFAS at the privately owned business property located at 1221 Farrow Street, Ferndale, identified as MacDermid, Inc.—a small chemical manufacturing and warehouse facility. Monitoring occurred at the bases of two former waste lagoons, and contamination appears limited to a small, perched zone of groundwater. The designation of this groundwater prevents it from being used as a drinking water source, and stormwater runoff from the contaminated area is captured and treated before discharge to the GLWA. Because this is a reportedly contained issue on private property, EGLE is working directly with the business/property owner(s) to excavate and re-sample. MDEQ recommended no community outreach at this time; the City has elected to publish this information in an effort to maintain transparency and information.

For more information, view the MDEQ report or contact the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

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