By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Hamburg Township is restructuring its public safety administration to help address some shortcomings and eliminate some confusion.

Three years ago the Hamburg Township Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Hamburg Township Public Safety Administration, and with it, the creation of the position of Director of Public Safety to lead it. The Director is the Chief of Police, who is Rick Duffany.

Duffany was before the Board on Tuesday proposing restructuring. He wrote in a memo to the Board that the PSA has in large part been successful in its mission of making more efficient use of administrative positions, having better coordination between police and fire departments, and making more efficient use of police and fire resources. However, Duffany notes that current job titles like “Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police,” and Fire Chief/Deputy Director of Public Safety” are cumbersome and can be confusing as to the nature of roles and authority within.

Duffany also hoped to better delineate where the Fire Chief’s authority ends and the Director’s, who is the Police Chief’s, begins. To do this, he provided updated and amended job descriptions for the PSA Director, and the Deputy Directors for both Fire and Police, along with new descriptions for the Administrative Supervisor, Administrative Assistants, the Fire Marshal, and Duty Captains. Director Duffany said these changes will provide a clear line of authority and more clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the command staff.

The Board of Trustees approved the restructuring 6-0.