Keego Harbor

Keego officials urge people to mind their manners, the law

By Eric Czarnik
C & G Staff Writer

KEEGO HARBOR — Whether you’re a longtime resident or just a visitor, city officials at the June 21 Keego Harbor City Council meeting had a simple message for summer revelers: Abide by the rules and be responsible.

“I’m going to try to make this as polite as possible,” Keego Harbor Police Chief Kenneth Hurst said. “Summertime has struck, and some people have gone crazy.”

Hurst said the hot weather has brought increased activity on the Cass Lake sandbar and to such places as the beach on Grove Street. He criticized littering, alcohol-related trouble and visitors who think Keego Harbor is “party central.”

“If (residents) have visitors that come to our city, I don’t want to be bad with them, but they have to act responsibly,” he said.

As a result, Hurst said, he has ordered heightened law enforcement this summer. He said the city’s marine police patrols have seen an increase of boating violations, and his department has already written out many tickets and made some arrests.

He also warned that parents will be held responsible for their kids’ juvenile delinquency and added that marijuana is still federally classified as a Schedule I narcotic.

On top of other criminal activity, Hurst said police are also dealing with an epidemic of drivers parking on lawns.

Police intend to step up enforcement on the problem to stop blight and property rights violations. Motorists who park on private property or in commercial parking zones for inappropriate reasons will have their vehicles towed, he said.

“The last few weekends have been extremely hot,” Hurst said. “People have been coming from all over the place and parking everywhere. Front lawns have been turned into mud holes.”

Officials said special consideration is sometimes given for on-street parking arrangements when residents hold graduation parties and other events. However, Hurst said, interested parties must call the police well in advance and provide emergency contact information.

The police chief was not alone in his complaints about public manners. Interim City Manager Linda Voll warned dog owners to be considerate of their neighbors and not let their pets trespass on others’ front yards and defecate there. She also asked guardians to clean up after their pets outdoors.

“Fecal matter has become an issue,” she said. “It shall be unlawful for any person to permit a dog to deposit fecal matter in any place other than their own premises.”

Council members stood behind the chief and his agenda of strict enforcement.

“You don’t have to apologize for cleaning up the city,” Mayor Pro Tem Sid Rubin said. “The residents want it. We want it.”

To learn more about the Keego Harbor Police Department, visit www.keegoharbor.org or call (248) 682-3030. City residents who wish to report an incident can call police dispatch at (248) 975-9200.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Eric Czarnik at eczarnik@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1058.