ESCANABA -- Most of us see law enforcement cars on the road almost every day. But during our long northern winters, officers have another means of enforcing the law as well, and that's with snowmobiles.
"You know, the snowmobiles are very versatile,” explains Deputy Dan LaCarte of the Delta County Sheriff’s Department. “You know, in our community, we have a lot of water and a lot of ice."
Deputies Dan LaCarte and Eric Nault demonstrated how they use the sleds in their patrol operation. They need them on the ice because of the popularity of ice fishing. Ice shanties can sometimes be targeted by thieves, and officers need to respond on the ice as quickly as possible.
But mostly their job is on the trail.
"We’ve seen lots of deer this year as we were riding,” LaCarte says. “So it's very important for riders to slow down in wooded areas. We don’t recommend riding alone because something may happen, like a minor breakdown, or you know, you hit that deer that crossed the road."
The best advice from these deputies who patrol the trails and the ice covered lakes? If you're snowmobiling, carry a map and ride in pairs.
"Know where you're going,” says Marquette fisherman, Joe Darcy. “Carry the proper tools, like a cell phone and a GPS. Let somebody know where you're going to be fishing in case they don't hear from you."
Another big aspect of snowmobile patrol is rescue. The sleds can be used to drive out onto the ice where officers can rescue someone who's fallen through, or if someone's been stranded in a remote trail, the patrol are usually the first responders.
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