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Dearborn Heights residents press council on county tree maintenance and police response to assault reports
Summary
During public comment at the July 15 special meeting, residents raised a request to prune two county-owned pine trees on Hines and a resident described repeated reports to police after an alleged July 4 assault; council members said staff would connect residents with county public works and the police chief.
Two residents used the public-comment period at the Dearborn Heights City Council special meeting on July 15 to raise neighborhood maintenance and public-safety concerns.
Mike Hankins, who identified himself as a Dearborn Heights resident associated with Riverside Properties and living on West Outer Drive, urged the council to allow pruning of two large pine trees on the south side of Hines — one across from Parkland Park and another toward Ford Road — that he said were being choked by vines. Hankins said he used to work with trees and asked whether he could be approved to prune them to preserve the trees.
Council members and staff told Hankins that the trees are handled by Wayne County and that the council office would connect him with the county Department of Public Services. Council member remarks included an instruction to have the clerk or council staff collect his contact information and email him together with the county commissioner.
Stacy Sanchez, a resident at Riverside Properties, said she has lived in the complex for about a year and described an incident she said occurred on July 4. Sanchez said she has filed three police reports about the matter, said she installed a camera at her door and described feeling harassed; she said she had been given an eviction notice by the property owner after raising concerns. Sanchez said she was dissatisfied with the police response and told the council she felt the department had not taken her reports seriously.
Council members responded by asking Sanchez to provide written contact information and said they would forward it to the police chief. One council member said, "I will make sure that the chief gets on top of this and gives you a call," and council staff offered to place her and the chief on an email to ensure follow-up. The council also advised Sanchez to provide the chief's office with the evidence and contact information she had collected.
No formal action or resolution resulted from the public comments; both items were recorded as public comment and the council moved on to a closed session.
