NEWAYGO, Mich. (AP) - Law enforcement agencies in west Michigan are looking to clean up the Muskegon River and make it more pleasant for families.
They have started a task force to crack down on the drunkenness, littering, lewdness and trespassing that have become too common on the river, mostly by flotillas of people on tubes, from people Grand Rapids to Muskegon.
“I want people from Grand Rapids to Muskegon to look at the Muskegon River as a destination,” Newaygo County Undersheriff Brian Boyd told The Grand Rapids Press (https://bit.ly/1sZj9xJ ). “I want it to be a positive image.”
Taking on the fight is the Muskegon River Multi-Agency Enforcement Task Force comprised of officers from the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, state police and Newaygo Police Department.
The plan is to increase enforcement on the river, with as many as four law enforcement boats on busy days, and create a system to report problems to police.
“Just being on the river is going to be a huge deterrent,” Boyd said.
Police will work with trained volunteers to monitor the river for signs of trouble.
“The image of the river has taken years to get to the point where it’s at,” Boyd said. “It’s going to take time to get it back to where people look forward to using it on a weekend.”
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Information from: The Grand Rapids Press:MLive.com, https://www.mlive.com
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