Traverse City Record-Eagle

2011 Cherry Festival

July 3, 2011

Police to beef up patrols this week

BY ALEX PIAZZA apiazza@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Parades, concerts, carnival rides and elephant ears attract tens of thousands of tourists to the National Cherry Festival.

Drunken driving, public intoxication and parking violations always crop up among the hordes, and are sure to keep local authorities busy.

Traverse City police will increase patrols during this week's festival to combat the population spike.

A majority of issues police handle during the festival involve parking, city police Capt. Steve Morgan said. Officers typically take a gentle approach to most parking matters because plenty of motorists are from out of town, but some violations will result in tickets or tow.

"We are very lenient, but people park in the most bizarre places," Morgan said. "If they block the boat launches or park on the grass outside of the designated spots, they're likely to get towed."

Aside from parking violations, Morgan said officers see a significant increase in alcohol-related crime during the festival. Public intoxication and drunken driving numbers often climb because of the sheer number of people who descend on the city, Morgan said.

To curb crime, about 25 reserve officers will be brought in to patrol downtown. Mike Couturier usually works as an auto body repair specialist at Craig's Body Shop, but he plans to don a police uniform today and patrol crowds at West End Beach, a hot spot during the festival.

Couturier signed up to become a reserve officer shortly after city police Sgt. Dennis W. Finch was shot and killed while on duty in 1998.

"I just felt like I had a civic duty that I wanted to fulfill," he said.

This weekend marks his 13th year as a festival-based reserve officer.

"It's just a different pace of life," Couturier said. "Once you start police work, there's a different mindset. You always have difficulties, but the people are usually really good."

Reserve officers, who are volunteers, are teamed with a full-time officer, help monitor crowds and assist with road patrol duties.

Funding from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning covered three additional officers to patrol the area this weekend for drunken driving, Grand Traverse sheriff's Capt. Randy Fewless said.

Members of the Downtown Development Authority board last month also approved $5,000 from its general fund to cover overtime costs for city police to patrol bars along Union Street.

Police handled a number of assault complaints near the 100 block of Union Street in recent months. Officers, some dressed in plain clothes, will keep a close eye on that area throughout the festival, especially when the bars close.

"We want everybody to have a good time. They just need to abide by the laws," Morgan said.

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