Behind the Blue Line — Michigan State Police Trooper Duane Zook takes your law enforcement questions:

Question: How is it determined whether state, county, city, township, or village, etc. department will handle a call, and/or become involved in an investigation? And are there times when township, or village (e.g.) involvement might be considered not appropriate?

Answer: Depending on your area, several police agencies may handle calls for service at any given time. For example, Dundee is a small village located in Monroe County that is policed by three agencies — Dundee Village Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police. The Dundee Village Police Department is a part-time agency, and residents of Dundee rely on deputies or troopers to answer calls for service when the local officers are off duty.

Keep in mind that every city, township or village has its own specific needs for police services. Resources vary from city to city and township to township. Washtenaw County has 20 townships, eight of which do not have any paid police coverage at any time. The Michigan State Police is considered a “support agency” and covers those townships in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office.

So who determines who will take on an investigation or a simple call for service? For the eight townships covered by the State Police or Sheriff’s Office, calls are dispatched on the “closest car concept,” meaning whichever police agency is closest to a run will respond and handle the call. If a trooper and deputy are dispatched to respond to the same run, depending on the priority or severity of the call, typically whoever arrives first will take the investigation — no matter what type of incident. If the incident is critical, such as a homicide, a police agency may request assistance from a neighboring police department.

All radar and laser guns are calibrated and certified by the manufacturer prior to being put into service.

Question: How often are radar and laser guns calibrated?

Answer: The Michigan Speed Measurement Task Force sets the standards for all Radar and Lidar speed measuring devices in the State of Michigan. All manufacturers of Radar and Lidar speed measuring devices have to meet the Michigan standards in order to be used in Michigan for speed enforcement.

All units are calibrated and certified by the manufacturer prior to being put into service.
Only when a unit is sent in for repairs and serviced by a certified/authorized repair center or the manufacturer is it re-calibrated and re-certified prior to being put back into service.

A certified operator — police officer — will be able to determine when a unit is not functioning properly and then take appropriate steps to have the unit serviced.

Question: Can I make a left turn from a two-way street onto a one-way street at a red light?

Answer: Yes. Under Michigan law, a driver may make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street into a two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn. Or, you can make a left turn from a one-way or two-way street into a one-way roadway carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn unless prohibited by sign, signal, marking, light, or traffic control device. You can find this law under MCL 257.612 subsection “C” subparagraph “ii” of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I be ticketed for the following?

1. Driving along an unpaved shoulder to pass a vehicle turning left?
2. Riding the left lane of a two-lane highway without passing vehicles on the right?
3. Running a steady yellow traffic light?
4. Having a cracked windshield?
5. Wearing a seatbelt under the arm?
6. Sounding your vehicle horn for no reason?
7. Stopping within a pedestrian crosswalk upon an intersection?
8. Failing to dim high beam headlights to oncoming traffic?
9. Driving without headlights 30 minutes before dusk and until 30 minutes after dawn?
10. Having a license plate cover?

The answer to all 10 questions is yes! All are violations of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code. You can find these laws along with others at www.legislature.mi.gov along with additional resources at www.michigan.gov/msp.

Do you have a question you want answered? Every Tuesday, I'll post the answers to your questions here. Send me a question by e-mail at ypsilantipost@gmail.com.