Cook County Sheriff Mark Falk visited Grand Marais city councilors June 24 to give an update on topics including an upcoming Hell’s Angels rally, a proposed noise ordinance, traffic control and law enforcement coverage in the city.
Mayor Sue Hakes welcomed the sheriff, and began the conversation by asking about the Hell’s Angels rally scheduled for the end of July in Carlton. Falk said there have been meetings among law enforcement departments in the region, but noted that Carlton is about 135 miles away from Grand Marais, and any trouble would be more likely to occur closer to Duluth.
However, he said the motorcyclists usually include “day rides” as part of their get-togethers, and they may very well decide to travel up the North Shore. “There can be 10, there can be 50, or there can be 100 — we don’t know, and they’re not going to share that with us,” Falk said.
The sheriff said the Hell’s Angels consider themselves an outlaw gang, a designation they’re proud of. They don’t like law enforcement or society’s laws, the sheriff added. “Unfortunately, sometimes they show up and bring trouble with them,” he said.
But, continued the sheriff, most of the group’s events prove to be “pretty uneventful.” For this particular rally, Falk said his department can anticipate that some groups will be headed to Cook County. Because their event coincides with Fisherman’s Picnic, the sheriff ‘s department will be staffed appropriately anyway, Falk said.
The sheriff was next asked about a proposed city noise ordinance, and whether he thought it was needed. Falk said there has been an increase in complaints called in to the Law Enforcement Center in the last two summers (about a dozen last summer, most of them after 10 p.m.), mainly due to a proliferation of outdoor events and businesses hosting live entertainment. He said an ordinance is necessary to give officers some guidance and direction when they are sent out in response to a call.
Falk said he prefers adoption of an ordinance that sets a time limit for the
” music, rather than one that requires decibel readings. Falk said that because he has a small staff, and there are more vital areas of concern for his staff such as public safety and traffic enforcement, use of a decibel meter would definitely require more time and resources. A cutoff time for outdoor music is also much easier to enforce, the sheriff pointed out.
If a time limit is set, he said, “There’s no doubt when it’s 10 o’clock or midnight. Then, it’s either on or off, not turn it down. It’s a lot more black and white.”
Hakes then asked about a recent proposal from the state Department of Transportation to slow traffic on the highway through town by installing a 48-inch black and yellow “reduced speed ahead” sign, along with a display that flashes the vehicle’s speed. The sign is proposed for the top of the hill west of town, and is intended to slow traffic from 40 mph to 30 mph before vehicles enter the congested area near the North House Folk School.
Hakes asked the sheriff if he believed issuing more tickets in that area would help regulate traffic speed. Falk said his deputies are already “very proactive” in enforcing traffic safety, and a new law that allows officers to stop vehicles if the occupants are not using their seat belts should result in more vehicle stops and possible enforcement actions.
On a less positive note, Falk said he expects to have a reduced staffing level this summer, because one of his full-time officers will be gone due to an injury suffered while making an arrest. The department has already filled its usual two part-time seasonal positions for the summer, and those deputies will be used to help fill in for the injured full-time officer. Since one of the seasonal deputies is normally assigned to patrol the city, the staff reduction will consequently result in fewer hours of patrol time. But, said Falk, the sheriff ‘s department will still maintain a presence in the city; the impact of the staff reduction will be felt Monday through Thursday. “We’ll be okay on the weekends,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of hiring another part-time deputy, Falk said that by the time a new candidate could be found and trained, the summer would be practically over. However, Falk added, he is considering adding another full-time deputy in the future, rather than hiring seasonal deputies, and that may prove to be more economical when the cost of advertising the position, training, uniforms and other equipment is factored in.
Finally, the sheriff encouraged residents to call and report “hot-rodding” incidents, even though the perpetrators will be long-gone when a deputy arrives. The sheriff said if the caller could get a good description of the vehicle and/or driver, the deputy may know who the offender is, and will then find and speak with that person.
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