Frequently Asked Questions

Here you'll find the answers to many questions often asked of the Negaunee Police Department.  Call 475-4154 or email your question to the Chief of Police if your concern is not addressed or if you want further information on a subject below.

Click on the drop-down arrow to browse through the questions, make your choice and then click "Go":

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOME ENTRY/OWNER LOCKED OUT:  Officers may or may not attempt to gain entry into a home depending on the circumstances of the situation.  Please understand officers are not responsible for any damages occurring and we recommend you keep a spare key in a safe, secure place.

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HOME & PROPERTY CHECKS :  Planning a trip?  If you live in the city limits of Negaunee and wish to have officers make periodic checks of your home while you are out of town, you may request a Home & Property Check.  There is no cost for this service.  You can make your request in either of two ways:

  • You may also stop by the police department to make your request in person.

 

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RESTRAINING ORDERS (Personal Protection Orders):  Personal protection orders are handled by the Marquette County Clerk.  If you are in need of such an order, call 225-8330 for more information.

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COPIES OF REPORTS/FOIA:  There is a $10.00 fee for copies of traffic crash reports and similar reports requested by insurance companies.  These can be picked up at the police department usually 1-2 business days after the incident occurs or mailed to your insurance company once payment has been received.  For all other reports you will need to complete a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which can be picked up at the police department or printed online.  Once completed your request will take 1-5 business days for processing and review.  **Note** It is our policy to temporarily deny the release of any incident still under investigation or pending review by the Marquette County Prosecutor's Office.  In the event the report you are requesting falls under either condition, you will be notified of an approximate date of availability or alternate method of obtaining said report.

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JUVENILE CURFEW: Per State of Michigan law, juveniles under the age of 12 years are not to be on any public street, alley or park without adult supervision between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am.  Juveniles under the age of 16 years are not to be on any public street, alley or park without adult supervision between 12:00am and 6:00am.  Juveniles found in violation of curfew will be taken to the police department and their parents notified to pick them up.  Repeated violations may result in juveniles being petitioned into Probate Court.  Additionally, because allowing their children to violate curfew is a Misdemeanor, parents may be cited.

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MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL (MIP Law): On 04/12/2004 the Governor signed into law Public Act No. 63 which will give Michigan one of the strongest minor in possession laws in the country.  It takes effect on 09/01/2004 and makes several important changes to the existing law.

Important changes to the existing law include:

 

•  The definition of being “in possession of alcohol” now explicitly includes blood alcohol content (BAC). The new law prohibits “any bodily alcohol content.” **

•  Judges will now have discretion to use jail time when a youth has a prior MIP conviction AND fails to complete any treatment, screening, or community service activities ordered by the court, or fails to pay any fine.

•  First-time offenders receive the break of not having a Misdemeanor record if he/she completes probation requirements.

•  The new law sets up a system to track first-time offenders of the Michigan MIP law and comparable local ordinances.

•  A provision is included to allow 19- and 20-year olds who consumed alcohol legally in Canada or Wisconsin to offer that as an affirmative defense in a criminal prosecution for the charge of MIP; however, this does not affect the Zero Tolerance section for the Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) law.

 

** Exceptions to this would be 1) the consumption of sacramental wine in connection with religious services at a church, synagogue or temple, and 2) a minor enrolled in a course at an accredited post-secondary institution under faculty supervision solely for educational purposes and as a requirement of the course.

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CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS V. CIVIL MATTERS: A criminal matter involves the violation of a criminal law or ordinance and is handled by a police agency.   For example, your car being taken by someone without your permission/knowledge would be a criminal complaint.

A civil matter can be described as a contractual disagreement (verbal or written) between two parties.  For example, if you sell a vehicle to someone and sign off on the title, but they do not pay the amount agreed upon after taking delivery of the vehicle, it is a civil matter as an agreement was made between two parties.  Landlord/tenant disputes are usually civil matters as well as they involve lease violations.

For the most part civil matters are handled through the courts; however, on occasion the police may be of assistance.   If you are unsure about your complaint being criminal or civil, or are looking for direction in handling a civil matter, call the department and an officer will assist you.

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CIVIL PAPER/SUBPOENA SERVICE:  Service of civil papers and subpoenas in Marquette County is handled by the Marquette County Sheriff's Department.  If you have paperwork in need of service, call 225-8435 for assistance.

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OPEN BURNING:  Open burning is prohibited in the City unless you have obtained a permit from the Negaunee Fire Department.  If you are in need of such a permit, contact Fire Chief Thomas Gardyko at 475-9811 (leave a message including your name, address, telephone number and reason for calling) or go to the City Treasurer's Office to pick up a guideline sheet containing instructions on how to apply for a permit to burn within the city limits.

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GAS-POWERED MOTORS ON TEAL LAKE:  Per city ordinance, gas-powered motors are prohibited on Teal Lake regardless of whether they are being operated or are simply attached to a boat (not in use).  You must detach any gas-powered motor from your watercraft before launching onto Teal Lake.  Questions concerning this ordinance should be directed to the Chief of Police at (906)475-4154.

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BEACH USE RULES:  Effective 06/01/2004 there is a new Beach/Park Use Policy which applies to the use of the Teal Lake beach and park area.  The rules apply to both the designated swimming area (beach) and non-designated swimming area of the park unless otherwise stated.

Beach/Park Use Policy

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WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS:  To check on the condition of roads for traveling during the winter season, you can call the MSP Winter Travel Hotline at 800-381-8477 or get the AAA Snow Report at 800-644-7669.

WINTER PARKING BAN:  The parking ban begins November 1st and runs through April 30th of each winter season.  For further information on the parking restrictions during this time period, go to Winter Parking Ban.

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OPERATION OF SNOWMOBILES: You may operate a snowmobile at a maximum speed of 10mph on the rightmost shoulder of City streets, with the exception of:  IRON STREET & US HIGHWAY 41.

***IT IS ILLEGAL TO OPERATE OR RIDE***

***SNOWMOBILES ON CITY SIDEWALKS***

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ATV OPERATION WITHIN THE CITY: An ATV is defined as: Any 3- or 4-wheeled vehicle designed for off-road use that has low pressure tires, a seat designed to be straddled by the rider and is powered by a 50cc to 500cc gas engine.

ATV Use Brochure

ATV Ordinance

As of 10/10/2005 a city ordinance takes effect regarding the use of ATVs within the City of Negaunee.  The main points of this ordinance are:

  • Operation allowed on all city roadways and alleys that have not been specifically prohibited (see map) for the purpose of accessing ATV trails.
  • Age-specific requirements:
    • Persons under age 12 are not allowed to operate ATVs on city roadways or alleys
    • Riders ages 12-15 must have direct adult supervision and be in possession of a valid ATV/ORV safety certificate (contact the Marquette County Sheriff Department for safety class information)
  • Hours of operation: 8am to 8pm EST
  • Speed is not to exceed 5mph and ATVs are to travel single file with the flow of traffic.
  • All State regulations apply (i.e. helmet required, no double riding, etc) and each violation of this ordinance are punishable by fines up to $100 plus the cost of prosecution.

PROHIBITED ROADWAYS & AREAS

  • Iron Street
  • US-41
  • BR-28
  • City-owned parks & natural areas
  • Cemeteries
  • Any highway area normally occupied by a ditch, front/back slope or utility

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PERMITS TO PURCHASE HANDGUNS: If you are at least 18 years of age and live within the City of Negaunee you would obtain a permit through our department.  For further information see the Firearms Info section.

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CONCEALED WEAPONS & PERMITS:  Applications for concealed weapon permits can be obtained at this department; however, all questions should be directed to the Marquette County Sheriff's Department as they handle the entire process and have the most up-to-date information.

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DEPARTMENT AVAILABILITY:  The Negaunee Police Department is available for serving the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  If at any time of the day or night you need police assistance you can dial 911 and a dispatcher will send an officer to you.  To contact the office during regular business hours call 475-4154.

You can also come down to the department at any time.  If the door is secured upon your arrival, simply open the yellow call-box outside the station door and lift the handset.  You will connect with a dispatcher who can send an officer to meet with you at the department.  This call-box is for use in any situation - not just emergencies.  Feel free to utilize this service in order to speak with an officer in person outside of regular business hours.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  Applications and resumés from persons seeking employment with the Negaunee Police Department are always accepted:

  • Marquette County residents are asked to pick up an application forms at our office: 100 Silver Street, Negaunee.
  • Out-of-county applicants may request an application by telephone (906)475-4154 or email.   Please be sure to provide your full name and address in your correspondence.
  • Completed applications & resumés should be brought to the police department or mailed to:
Negaunee Police Department

    ATTN: Chief Jay Frusti

    100 Silver Street

    Negaunee MI 49866

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TELEPHONE SOLICITATION: The Negaunee Police Department DOES NOT SOLICIT DONATIONS.  If you receive calls from any organization asking for donations do NOT give credit card numbers, checking account numbers or any other such information.  If you are unsure of the call's legitimacy, ask for the caller's name and then contact the organization they claim to represent directly.  You can apply this knowledge to Internet emails and sites as well - do not provide financial information to online solicitors.

Scams reported in the area include, but are not limited to:

Jewelry/Merchandise Claim Scam: Area residents have received a notice in the mail stating they can pay a marginal fee (using a credit card) for shipping and/or processing.  Do not answer these mailings and do not give any credit card information or bank account information.

 

Shopko Credit Card Scam: Someone calls to let you know your Shopko credit card has an unusually high balance and tells you they are calling to help take care of the matter.  Reports received at this office indicate the callers do not identify themselves and generally hang up when pressed about who they are or where they are calling from.  Do not give out any information over the telephone. If you have concerns about any type of credit account you may have with Shopko, we recommend you go to Shopko in person to inquire about your account status.
 

Jury Duty Scam: Someone calls identifying themselves as a jury duty coordinator.  They inform you that you have missed an appointment and there is now a warrant for your arrest for not appearing for duty.  When you protest saying you never received a summons, they ask for your social security number and other information on the pretense of canceling the warrant.  This is not how the jury duty system works in Marquette County.  Never give your social security number out over the phone regardless of who the caller says they are. If you have questions about jury duty and your responsibilities, you can call the Marquette County Clerk's Office.

THIS SCAM HAS BEEN REPORTED NATIONWIDE AND THE FBI HAS FURTHER INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE IF YOU WISH TO READ MORE ABOUT IT:   www.fbi.gov

 

Internal Revenue Service - We have had two different types of scams involving the IRS reported in our area.

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  •  Refund to your credit card:  The IRS will never solicit your information online and has no need to ask for your credit card number(s).
  •  Email about refund eligibility: The IRS will never contact you through email about refunds or to collect information from you. Do not click on any links inside these types of emails as they make your computer vulnerable to "phishing", which is an illegal and fraudulent attempt to acquire sensitive information such as passwords, credit card info or account numbers.
 
"Customer Service Evaluator" jobs in the newspaper: In this instance, companies advertising customer service jobs ask you to cash a large check and then send money to them as a "test" of a new moneygram system.  Usually you are asked to send the money to a location outside of the United States.  Although it might be tempting to cash the check, do not do so as this is a scam for which you could be left responsible for thousands of dollars when the check does not clear.  Several of these companies list Wal-Mart as the place to send the money gram from, although Western Union and others have also been suggested.
 

Receiving a check in the mail for no known reason: This scam works similarly to the Customer Service Evalutor job scam in that you receive a check in the mail to be cashed. You are promised a portion of the money for your services and asked to forward a portion to someone you do not know.  DO NOT CASH ANY CHECK IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SENDER OR THE REASON FOR THE CHECK BEING ISSUED TO YOU.  If you have any questions or concerns whatsoever over a check received in the mail - DO NOT CASH IT.  "Free money" isn't free when you get held responsible for the full amount of the check after it fails to clear the banking system.

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Social Security benefit inquiries: Callers are asking citizens for banking information as it pertains to Social Security benefits.  Never give out bank account information or your social security number, even if the caller says they need to "verify" information they claim to already have.

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If you encounter what you believe is a scam, you may alert the police to it by calling 475-4154.

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PAYING FINES & TICKETS:  If you receive a parking ticket you may remit payment in several ways:

  • Mail payment using the yellow envelope left on your vehicle.
  • Place payment in the orange envelope and drop it in the Utility Payment box located near the front entrance of the Negaunee City Library to save yourself the cost of postage.
  • Come to the Negaunee Police Department in person.

FOR TRAFFIC CITATIONS CONTACT THE 96th DISTRICT COURT

(906)485-5579

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TOUR THE DEPARTMENT:  If you would like to take a tour of the police department, or perhaps bring a special group for a tour, please contact Chief Jay Frusti at (906)475-4154 or email your request to make arrangements.

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ABANDONED/JUNK VEHICLES:  Abandoned, inoperable and/or junk vehicles are prohibited by City Ordinance.  Call 475-4154 to report any such vehicles you become aware of in your neighborhood and an officer will be dispatched to assess the situation.  **Note: Your name will not be given to the vehicle owner.

Tow Operators:

If you are a tow operator and a vehicle which was towed from inside the city limits has not been claimed by its owner, you will need to complete an Abandoned Vehicle form and bring it to the Negaunee Police Department to being the process.  For vehicles towed from outside of the city limits, contact the police agency in that jurisdiction for their procedure on handling abandoned vehicles.

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NOXIOUS WEEDS, JUNK, RUBBISH AND/OR MISCELLANEOUS DEBRIS IN YARDS:  The presence of noxious weeds, junk, rubbish and debris is prohibited by city ordinance.  Call 475-4154 to report any violations of city ordinance and an officer will be dispatched to assess the situation.  **Note: Your name will not be given to the property owner.

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UNSAFE STRUCTURES:  If you are aware of an unsafe structure in the City of Negaunee, call 475-4154 to have an officer dispatched to assess the situation.  **Note: Your name will not be given to the property owner.

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COMPLAINTS AGAINST CITY EMPLOYEES:  Complaint forms for making a non-criminal complaint against any City employee can be obtained at the Police Department.  If the employee in question is a Negaunee police officer you may also talk to the Chief of Police if you wish.  Completed forms should be turned in to the City Manager's office or Police Department.

Criminal complaints should be reported to a police agency in the appropriate jurisdiction (where the incident occurred).

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WARRANT INQUIRIES: A periodically updated list of all active warrants currently held by the Negaunee Police Department can be viewed online. If there is a warrant authorized for your arrest and you wish to take care of the matter, you may go to any police department to do so.  Please bring photo identification to ensure the process can be more efficiently completed.

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CRIMINAL HISTORY/BACKGROUND CHECKS:  If you wish to have your criminal history checked, call the Michigan State Police Post at 475-9922 for further information.  You will need to appear in person to make the actual request and provide identification.

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SEAT BELT USAGE- State of Michigan:  Here are some things to keep in mind while traveling in the State of Michigan:

  • Police can stop your vehicle if you or your front seat passenger(s) are not wearing seat belts.
  • Police can stop your vehicle if a child under age 4 is not in a car seat or if children age 4 through 15 are not wearing seat belts no matter where they are riding in the vehicle.
  • The driver is responsible and can be ticketed for seat belt violations by those age 15 and under.  Tickets for seat belt violations by subjects 16 years of age and older will be issued to the violator.

The following pertains to children under 4 years of age:

  • All children under 4 years of age must be properly restrained in a car seat when traveling in a motor vehicle, regardless of riding in the front or back seat.
  • Infants under 1 year of age should 1) face the rear, 2) be semi-reclined and 3) be snugly fastened in a car seat.
  • Toddlers between 20 and 40 pounds should 1) face the front, 2) sit upright and 3) be snugly fastened in a car seat.

Effective 07/01/2008 Michigan's Booster Seat Law will be enforced.  This means all children must be in a booster seat used in conjunction with a lap/shoulder safety belt until they are 8 years old OR at least 4'9" tall - whichever comes first.  If your child does not meet either the age requirement or the height requirement, your child is required by law to be in a booster seat with the lap/shoulder belt in place:

MICHIGAN'S BOOSTER SEAT LAW INFORMATION

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BICYCLE REGISTRATION: Residents of Negaunee can get bicycles registered free of charge.  You may bring your bicycle to the police department and complete a registration form, or download/print the registration form  and bring it to the department once it is completed.

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BIKE SAFETY & HAND SIGNALS: Bicycles must observe the same rules of the road as vehicles.  This means pay attention for stop signs, traffic lights and be aware of other traffic around you.  Use hand signals to communicate your intentions:

  • Stopping/Slowing: Extend left arm out parallel with the road with your hand/forearm pointing down (perpendicular with the pavement).
  • Turning Right: Extend left arm out parellel with the road with your hand/forearm raise up (perpendicular with the pavement).
  • Turning Left: Extend your left arm straight out parallel with the road.

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SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY:  The Negaunee Police Department maintains a registry of convicted sex offenders living in the city.  If you wish to view this registry, you may come to the police department.  If you wish to view the complete registry of convicted sex offenders for the County of Marquette, you can do so at the Marquette County Sheriff Department.  You may also access the Sex Offender Registry for the State of Michigan at www.mipsor.state.mi.us.

Related Free-Use Website

There is a free Internet resource for locating sex offenders in your neighborhood.  Visit the Family Watchdog* site, enter your address information and a map will be generated to show you where sex offenders reside in your area.  You can view offender names, addresses and in many cases a photograph.  This map also has a key to indicate the type of crime each offender has been been convicted of (i.e. rape, crimes against children or other/lesser offenses).

*THE FAMILY WATCHDOG SITE IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CITY OF NEGAUNEE OR THE NEGAUNEE POLICE DEPARTMENT.  WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT OR FREQUENCY OF UPDATE.

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LEGAL AGE FOR MOPED/MOTORIZED SCOOTER OPERATION:  The Michigan Motor Vehicle Code specifies the legal age for a person to operate a moped on public streets/roads and highways to be 15 and older.  Those persons who do not have a valid Michigan driver's license must apply for a special restricted license and be able to demonstrate to the Secretary of State that he/she is competent to operate the vehicle safely.  A road test for the special restricted license is not necessary.

The motorcycle helmet laws in Michigan require persons under age 19 operating a moped/motorized scooter on a public thoroughfare to wear a crash helmet approved by the State of Michigan.

Call the Secretary of State at 486-4760 (Ishpeming) or 226-7556 (Marquette) for further information on the operation of mopeds/motorized scooters.

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EMERGENCY VEHICLE CAUTION LAW: The Michigan Emergency Vehicle Caution Law states:

ROADS WITH TWO OR MORE LANES OF TRAVEL IN THE SAME DIRECTION:   The operator of a vehicle traveling on a highway designed with two or more lanes of travel in the same direction shall, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated, carefully move into an open lane at least one lane away from the emergency vehicle.  If this is not possible due to traffic, weather, or road conditions, the operator shall slow down and pass with caution, allowing the emergency vehicle as much space as possible.

ROADS WITH ONE LANE OF TRAVEL FOR EACH DIRECTION:  The operator of a vehicle traveling on a roadway which only has one lane of travel for each direction shall, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated, carefully move over into the open adjacent lane if possible.  If this is not possible due to traffic, weather, or road conditions, the operator shall slow down and pass with caution, allowing the emergency vehicle as much space as possible.

A person found responsible for violating this law is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to enhanced penalties of up to 15 years in prison and/or a $7,500.00 fine if the violation causes injury or death to a police officer, firefighter, or other emergency response personnel.

  • Emergency vehicles are defined as: Police, Fire, Rescue, Ambulance and Road Service Vehicles.
  • Under a change in the law effective 06/02/2004, road service vehicles (including wreckers) are considered to be emergency vehicles for the purpose of this law only.
  • You do not have to move over in traffic for an emergency vehicle that does not have its emergency lights activated; however, you should always pass with caution and give the emergency vehicle as much room as possible.

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JAIL/BOND INFORMATION FOR ARRESTED SUBJECTS:  The Negaunee Police Department does not have a jail facility and transports arrested subjects to the Marquette County Jail if they are unable to post the required bond.  To get information about the status of someone who has been lodged in jail, or to find out the amount of the bond for someone who has been arrested and lodged, call 225-8445.

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PATCH REQUESTS: 

CURRENT DESIGN

The above patch is the current emblem in use by the Negaunee Police Department.  These patches are currently unavailable, but may become available in the future to law enforcement personnel in exchange for an appropriate trade.  Please check back.

 

RETIRED 07/2007

This patch was used by the Negaunee Police Department for decades and was replaced in 2007.  As of 07/02/2009 it is available to the general public without the requirement of a trade for display purposes only.  These patches are used (taken from uniforms) but most are in good general condition and are presented in an informational notecard.

Local Collectors: We ask that collectors within Marquette County stop by the department in person.

Outside Marquette Co.: Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

    Negaunee Police Department

    ATTN: L. VanMarter

    100 Silver Street

    Negaunee, MI  49866

We cannot guarantee availablility; however, if patches are not available at the time your request is received, your SASE will be held until such time a patch can be sent out.

If you have a question about patch requests, please send an email to Clerk Laura VanMarter.

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HUNTING WITHIN THE CITY: City Ordinance prohibits the discharge of firearms (defined as any rifle, pistol, shotgun, air gun, BB gun or any other firearm capable of projecting lead or any other object) within the City of Negaunee.  Hunting with firearms is not allowed; however, hunting with bow and arrow is acceptable provided it is done in non-residential areas, safety precautions are taken and common sense is used.

Hunter safety courses can be taken through the Marquette County Sheriff's Department.  Call 225-8435 for more information.

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SAFETY COURSES: If you are interested in taking a safety course, i.e. hunter or boater safety, contact the Marquette County Sheriff's Department at 225-8435 or 346-6831 for information.  Programming changes from year to year based on grant funding/availability.

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REPORT INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN: Call the Michigan Cyber-Tip Telephone Hotline at 1-800-5CYBER3 (1-800-529-2373)This hotline is answered by a law enforcement officer between 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday through Friday.  On holidays, weekends and after hours callers will hear a detailed message and have the option to leave a message of their own which will be forwarded to the appropriate jurisdiction.

*** DIAL 911 IF IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION ***

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LOST PETS: If you have lost a pet, you can help by notifying the following agencies:

  • Your Local Police - Contact the department where you live:
    • Negaunee PD: 475-4154
    • Ishpeming PD: 486-4416
    • Ishpeming Twp PD: 485-1888
    • Marq Co Sheriff: 225-8435
    • Chocolay Twp PD: 249-4040
    • Forsyth Twp PD: 346-9225
    • Central Dispatch: 475-9912
  • Marquette Co Humane Society: 475-6661
  • Northern Veterinary Associates: 485-6145

You can also post a notice through local radio station WMQT by visiting their website at: www.wmqt.com/lostpets.php

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