Police "Raid" on 3&Up Game Store Top Priority on a Saturday Night?

On a cold, snow covered street Saturday night in late January, a group of neighbors from 30 to 70 plus years of age gathered at the 3&Up board game facility on Main Street, downtown Plymouth. In a separate group room at about 8:15 PM, the introductions were just finishing when a Plymouth Police Department officer showed up and told guests they were not allowed to have adult beverages on the premises. Stating that they had just learned that alcohol was being permitted in the private rooms, the officer made everyone empty their beer and wine glasses and take their remaining drinks to their vehicles. Though disappointing and contrary to what had been happening for years at the facility, the request was honored quickly and without incident. After another 15 minutes had passed the officer returned with two other officers, now totaling three officers on site. The officer then asked for the names of all who were drinking in the room. Again, all complied with the request.

Fast forward to Friday the 24^th of March, a beautifully warm evening in downtown Plymouth. Restaurants had up to an hour and a half wait, Kellogg Park was packed with people, dog walkers were everywhere, and dessert seekers had twenty plus minute waits at the local ice cream shops. Over the course of the three hours my wife and I spent outside downtown, not once did we see a sign of police. We did, however, see many cruisers squealing tires, racing engines and even saw motorcyclists doing wheelies in front of City Hall.

Keeping in mind that the city and the police department were promoting a tax increase a few years back as a way to pay for additional equipment and officers to help with patrols on the weekend and for neighborhood policing, with an officer subsequently added, a few questions come to mind:

· On a Saturday night, should the priorities of the police department be focused on a game board business rather than the bars along Penniman which routinely end up with barf in their alleys or on their sidewalks on Sunday morning?

· Are the police really not aware of the other nonbar businesses in town that either have customer appreciation events with alcohol or allow alcohol for private gatherings (with some of these businesses even showing the alcohol in their window displays)?

· Recognizing that Plymouth does have a liquor license regulation, is it really in the cities best interest to enforce this on businesses that have infrequent and private events where they are not actually selling the alcohol, thus potentially driving out what little business diversity we have in the city?

· If there is not a police presence in downtown Plymouth during a crowded weekend evening, where and when would there be this presence?

· If you live in a neighborhood, how often have you seen a police vehicle on your street?

· Keeping in mind that Plymouth is only three square miles, have you ever seen a police officer walking through your neighborhood and attempting to get to know you?

· I do not know where the police were on that Friday night but I do know where they spend a lot of time: in a parking lot on Sheldon Road near M14. Do you feel this the best place for their visibility rather than near schools, churches, downtown or other high pedestrian areas?

The answers to the above should be kept in mind if the city ever tries to get another millage passed for more police officers.

Jack Wilson