State Propaganda Claims Universal Satisfaction with State Policing on Belle Isle

[Zacha341]

The Isle is now under the state as a state park. That is why the blue boys [[state police) are now there and their presence always implies stronger enforcement, and in this case focused enforcement. Yet even if they pull someone over and find discover active warrants, they ultimately have to turn the individual over the the local city DPD authorities. If you think you have warrants stay off Belle Isle.

stops signs and red lights are optional thoughout the rest of the City of Detroit, why is it so important it be enforced on Belle Isle? our rights are slowly being eroded.....

[Bham1982]

Everyone knows that Belle Isle was a huge gathering place for African Americans, both for family-style picnicing and nighttime [[often rather rowdy) crusing. And everyone knows that the state takeover was going to curtail these activities because of the resulting fees and the enforcement.

And it is selective enforcement. If you go to a Tigers game, the surrounding streets are a carnival of drunken whites from the burbs. If you wanted to catch drunk drivers you could just put sobriety checkpoints at all the freeway on-ramps, and probably half of the cars would be seized.

[Scottathew]

I thought that Goose was -- just as I was -- being sarcastic.

LOL, sorry, there are too many people who are actually complaining about laws being enforced that I am taking everyone as serious.

[Wesley Mouch]

Everyone knows that Belle Isle was a huge gathering place for African Americans, both for family-style picnicing and nighttime [[often rather rowdy) crusing. And everyone knows that the state takeover was going to curtail these activities because of the resulting fees and the enforcement.

And it is selective enforcement. If you go to a Tigers game, the surrounding streets are a carnival of drunken whites from the burbs. If you wanted to catch drunk drivers you could just put sobriety checkpoints at all the freeway on-ramps, and probably half of the cars would be seized.

Let's give Comerica to the State too!

[aj3647]

And it is selective enforcement. If you go to a Tigers game, the surrounding streets are a carnival of drunken whites from the burbs. If you wanted to catch drunk drivers you could just put sobriety checkpoints at all the freeway on-ramps, and probably half of the cars would be seized.

Now you're comparing MSP and DNR to DPD? If you have a problem with how the laws are enforced outside Comerica Park, take it up with the freaking City of Detroit. It's not the jurisdiction of the DNR or the State.

So how the hell is it selective enforcement when the two things you compared are policed by two entirely different agencies? It's "not fair" because the rest of Detroit is awash in post-apocalyptic lawlessness so Belle Isle should be too?

[Honky Tonk]

Yep, and the ONLY thing I avoided in over 30 years of enjoying the island...that is the Friday and Saturday night stuff that kept me away.

You forgot to add "Sunday nights" as well. Other than that, it's probably the most honest thing you've posted about Belle Isle.

[corktownyuppie]

Everyone knows that Belle Isle was a huge gathering place for African Americans, both for family-style picnicing and nighttime [[often rather rowdy) crusing. And everyone knows that the state takeover was going to curtail these activities because of the resulting fees and the enforcement.

I don't agree with your conclusion. Family-style picnicking is not on the wane as far as I could tell this weekend. In fact, I'd conservatively say that 75-80% of the people using the various pavilions and picnic grounds are/were African American.

If the objective of the new policy was curtail black families from picnicking, I'd say that so far they're failing miserably.

As far as the "Saturday Night Cruise" element, I don't have a problem of with any of them -- outstanding warrants or not -- coming to Belle Isle. I do have a problem with them [[and anyone else, for that matter) stopping traffic, throwing parties in the middle of the street, violating open intox laws, etc. If the change in policy was meant to discourage and eliminate that behavior, I'd say they're doing a damn good job.

And it is selective enforcement. If you go to a Tigers game, the surrounding streets are a carnival of drunken whites from the burbs. If you wanted to catch drunk drivers you could just put sobriety checkpoints at all the freeway on-ramps, and probably half of the cars would be seized.

It's not selective enforcement when you're crossing jurisdictional lines. No one expects Roseville cops to police the same way as Ann Arbor cops. Selective enforcement is when the same set of police apply different standards to different people in the same place. If MSP and DNR are only pulling over the black cruisers while allowing white people to pee out of the back of their pickup truck...that's selective enforcement. And I'm against it.

Belle Isle isn't the first time this change has happened, either. At some point awhile ago, DPD turned over the jurisdiction of the interstate highways over to the MSP. DPD simply didn't have the resources to police the way it needed to be done. And you are right...in that case as well, MSP changed the way that I-94 and I-75 were being policed.

As far as Comerica Park, I'd be in favor of turning that over to MSP. They would probably do a better job, and we could re-allocate those police in other ways. Alternatively, I'd love to see DPD double the police on the street and start more strictly enforcing the laws as well.

Either/Or. The final endpoint is still the same, and I'd be in favor of it no matter how we get there.

[Gannon]

You forgot to add "Sunday nights" as well. Other than that, it's probably the most honest thing you've posted about Belle Isle.

I've never posted anything dishonest or untrue about this important topic. Everything I've posted, including and especially the overwhelming whiteness of the enforcement arm of this takeover, is from my experience...and when I dare to open my language to allow those in authority to embrace more of a wider perception than their legal-blindness you are there to jump into my shit. Why don't you take a dip in the river?! Might help make this place smell better.

Sincerely,
John