Officer rides 40 hours each week
HANCOCK -- With miles of snowy trails and beautiful scenery, Houghton County is a great place to ride. And every winter, the Sheriff's Department is out alongside the locals and tourists to ensure that everyone who does hit the trails has fun without getting out of line.
"A lot of it is just the presence of an officer out there," said Sheriff Brian McLean. "He’ll sit at crossways and monitor the snowmobiles, so the word gets out that we have a presence, and hopefully people behave."
The special patrols are funded with grant money from the DNR. That allows the county to have an officer riding 40 hours each week.
I followed Deputy Sheriff Keith Raffaelli for part of a shift to see what problems riders run into most often.
"I’m mainly looking for any and all alcohol-related offenses, reckless operation, etc," said Raffaelli. "I’m also checking for registration violations and valid trail permits."
Raffaelli has worked the trails for years and says most riders he comes in contact with are happy to know he's nearby.
"If I’m stopped along the trail somewhere, they'll come over and talk to me and thank me for being out here and making it safer," Raffaelli said.
The snowmobile patrols start every December and typically last through April depending on the snow.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC