Bay City’s Midland Street to be Monitored by Police
Police will be monitoring the Midland street entertainment district in Bay City more closely, after city commissioners unanimously approved measures to end recent violence. Two additional officers will be assigned to the entertainment district from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., the times most of the recent violent crimes caused by stragglers and aggressors had been occurring. Funding for the assistance would be coming from the city’s general fund at approximately $2,000 per week, so no cuts need to be made to other areas.
Commission President, Jessie Docket, and City Manager, Dana Muscott, both said the move is one the city can luckily afford, that will help deter much of the bad behavior while keeping business flowing.
Business owner Jay Samborn adds that 40+ street concerts and numerous socially distanced outdoor events have been held for thousands attending over the summer with zero incident, and any reported violence came after-hours and had nothing to do with events related to street closures.
Ward 8 commissioner, Ed Clements, said the bars have been working hard to keep the area safe, and if further steps are necessary they should be taken.
Business owners who were present agreed the police presence will help improve the after-hours safety and help change the recent image of the area.
Commissioners also discussed the potential for additional cameras and face-tracking technology, but said that would need to be a future discussion if the violence continued enough to warrant it.
