Caleb Nimee is on his Tuesday afternoon shift as a member of the Marquette Police Department’s Park Patrol. Nimee and other officers patrol parks, the waterfront and other areas in addition to other duties. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

MARQUETTE — Caleb Nimee isn’t a park ranger, nor is he a police officer who can arrest people. However, like other officers of the Marquette Police Department’s Park Patrol, he has an important role in the community.

Nimee typically has a noon-to-8 p.m. shift for his job, which as part of the Park Patrol is seasonal, lasting from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

He spends a lot of his time, obviously, in the scenic park areas around town, but his shift starts with administrative duties. They include filling out a daily log, gathering his equipment such as a portable radio and the device used to issue tickets, and checking his vehicle’s lights. Nimee also fills out an activity log as he goes through his day.

On his rounds, Nimee, who studies criminal justice and pre-law at Northern Michigan University and is a member of the Michigan Army National Guard, travels to various parks and other spots within the city of Marquette, such as South Beach, Presque Isle Park, McCarty’s Cove, Park Cemetery and along Lakeshore Boulevard.

“You’ll truly be surprised at how many parks we have to keep an eye out on,” Nimee said.

As with many modern functions, the Park Patrol has gone digital.

“This is just better because it time-stamps it for our records,” Nimee said of the device used to issue tickets, although paper is an option should the device go down.

The device also can take a photo of an offending vehicle. For instance, on Tuesday, Nimee issued a ticket for a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone along Lakeshore Boulevard, with the photo printed on the ticket — providing further proof should that ticket be appealed.

There is one particular hot spot in the city, though, when it comes to tickets.

“We do write the majority of our tickets on Presque Isle (Park),” Nimee said.

Presque Isle has no-parking areas along Peter White Drive, which goes around the park, plus tickets will be given if a parked vehicle’s tires are on the narrow road. Other Presque Isle rules include having no dogs and not hammocking to protect the trees.

Regarding the popular hammocking activity, Nimee said warnings are the initial option.

“I don’t necessarily see writing a ticket as a ‘solve-all,'” he said. “If someone is needing a ticket to learn, they’re going to get a ticket to learn.”

There are ways, however, to alleviate tension through a warning, which means mastering what he called the “art of verbal judo.”

“As long as you’re respectful to someone, I feel like it goes a long way with that relationship,” Nimee said.

By the way, if people aren’t sure of a city ordinance, he suggests visiting municode.com where they can find a list of Marquette ordinances.

Still, tickets sometimes are a necessity. Nimee on Tuesday issued two tickets for vehicles parked in “no parking between signs” spots at Presque Isle, the signs of which, he noted, are there so emergency and other vehicles can turn around since it would be dangerous to go the wrong way on a one-way corridor.

Nimee, who went to off-the-leash training, also carries an animal bag.

“A majority of our calls will be animals off leash, and you don’t know if they’re going to be friendly or not,” Nimee said. “We have slip leashes in case we have to get them on the leash. We can do that pretty quickly and safely for the animal.”

However, Park Patrol officers have dog treats, he said, in case an aggressive dog is approaching.

“You can avoid a whole situation there,” Nimee said.

Other dog equipment are dog cleanup bags and a bowl of water.

Discretion essential

Of course, people can cause problems when they question his authority.

“Sometimes there’s people that ask, ‘Are you a cop?'” said Nimee, who answers, “No, I’m a park patrolman with the Marquette City Police Department.”

In fact, he leads off with that identification when approaching someone.

One of the things Nimee likes about being on the Park Patrol is the flexibility it affords him.

He can sit in his car or drive, make property checks and look at parking issues, for example, at his discretion.

Nimee also said he may call in a more serious situation, such as someone waving a gun, to the MPD, and although he can’t pull over that person, he can follow the suspect and get an accurate description for city police officers.

“That’s what a majority of this is,” he said. “It’s just doing what’s right. That’s one thing I love about law enforcement.”

Nimee can’t always know how he will be called to serve.

One time he pushed someone in a wheelchair, who needed help, from the Ore Dock Brewing Co. to Snowberry Heights.

And even though some people initially think he’s a park ranger, he tries to accommodate them.

“I love chatting with people,” Nimee said. “This job is perfect for me because I get to enjoy all that Marquette has to offer and I get to meet new people.”

MPD Police Chief Ryan Grim said there usually are two Park Patrol officers working per day, with overlapping shifts during busier times.

“Park Patrol plays an important role in our department because they spend a lot of time patrolling the waterfront and parks so our police officers can focus on other areas in the city,” Grim said in an email. “They interact with the public, enforce pertinent city ordinances and assist patrol officers when they respond to calls at the parks and beaches.

“Having a presence in these areas enhances the safety and security of the users, and we receive a lot of positive feedback from the public.”

Nimee said, “I bridge that gap between city police and the community.”

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.