MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Marquette Food Co-op has released a list of policy changes regarding its common spaces falling ‘under siege’ with behavioral issues.
A majority of these concerns comes as the Room at the Inn (RATI) warming shelter is located up Washington street. According to a release from earlier this week, panhandling at the exit of the store, loitering around the building, and misuse of its public bathrooms has become an increased and uncomfortable behavior to many of the store’s customers and staff.
General Manager Matt Gougeon writes, “On behalf of our staff and customers, we have created a plan to repel this “siege” of unacceptable behaviors. The plan presents more like a “double off the right field wall” than a single up the middle. More impactful. In truth, this plan only enforces our existing policies that address these behaviors. Working with RATI, the Marquette Police Department (MPD), a private security firm, local contractors, and even the Community Foundation of Marquette County, we will take the following actions.”
- Install signage around Co-op property prohibiting soliciting, loitering, smoking, drinking, and unacceptable bicycle parking.
- Install a locked fence/gate and an additional security light behind the kitchen and near the dumpsters.
- Hire short-term security personnel to aid in monitoring the store and property and to liaise with MPD, relieving some of the pressure on staff.
- RATI will communicate the prohibitions to the shelter populations through meetings and street outreach efforts.
- Staff are empowered to call the police instead of mitigating individual situations of poor behavior and request an order of trespass.
- MPD has been consulted on this planning and are prepared for an increase in calls to serve orders of trespass.
Alongside the Community Foundation of Marquette County, the Co-op will begin an endowment fund towards the Room at the Inn, to further assist within the community’s homelessness crisis.
To read the full release, visit here.
