Belle Isle's two faces: Island jewel, lawless landmark

David Josar / The Detroit News

Detroit --To the Belle Isle regulars, the change begins about 7:30 p.m., as families and middle-age visitors give way to the teenagers and 20-somethings.

Chess boards and folding tables are replaced by SUVs with open hatches that function as impromptu speakeasies with loud sound systems, the clothing becomes a little more revealing, the scent of marijuana sometimes fills the air and the easy crawl of traffic morphs into custom-car gridlock with occasional halts for drag racing.

To combat what city officials say is growing lawlessness, the city has implemented police stings and beefed up maintenance to ensure the island remains as beloved as it has for generations. Since April, police have issued more than 4,000 citations for offenses such as underage drinking and speeding, made at least 19 felony arrests and investigated more than 650 other incidents. Once, police were issuing so many tickets, they ran out of books for them, officials say.

"We want this to remain a city jewel," said Alicia C. Minter, the city's recreation director. She described the island as "not dangerous ...but dicey" and said the uptick in attention is to "make it inviting for everyone."
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I am glad that they are giving the issue some attention, and am glad to see Lt. Johnson taking a pro-active, public approach [[though cynics will probably reply that the tickets are to raise money for the city).