Belle Isle aerial view
State officials on Tuesday tried to deflect criticism from city council members about police tactics on Belle Isle.
Joe Guillen of the Detroit Free Press reports that state officials said state park patrol officers at Belle Isle treat visitors the same as in other state parks and enforce park rules for the safety of the public. They said they aim to create a family environment.
The island is patrolled by Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and Michigan State Police.
City Council members have been critical, saying the police on the island are overstepping and unfairly targeting some drivers. Some arrests on the island have involved weapons and drugs, but council members say some drivers have been targeted for no legit reason.
Guillen writes:
Several Detroit City Council members slammed the state’s management of Belle Isle on Tuesday after hearing the city clerk was pulled over by a State Police officer who claimed he was keeping “riffraff” off the island.
The Freep reported that Council President Brenda Jones called the state’s policing of Belle Isle a “disgrace.” She indicated that she wants to get state officials before the council to talk about security on the island.
discuss their oversight of the island.
