Residents voice frustrations over tailgaters at City Park in Detroit Lakes

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Residents near City Park in Detroit Lakes have had enough of kids and young adults tailgating near the exit of the park.

The loud music, possible alcohol and drug use, fights and verbal harassment of area residents have triggered a myriad of calls to the police department with some residents giving up hope that the behavior of the tailgaters will ever change.

During a meeting of the Detroit Lakes public safety committee, Elizabeth Marroquin Galvez, a North Shore Drive resident, said the constant harassment from the individuals has driven her, and her family, to the breaking point.

“I’m really reasonable about noise, but I think that things have gotten crazy,” said Marroquin Galvez. “Now, it’s to the point where I feel like I can’t be outside in my yard. There’s constant screaming, swearing, racial slurs coming from the park. My 3-year-old little boy is asking me, ‘why are they saying achoo?’ Well, that’s not what they were saying.”

She also said some of her neighbors have altered their evening walks to avoid the park area because they did not feel safe.

“When there are 10, 15, 20 cars with guys just milling about all day long and into the night, how would you feel walking through, it’s uncomfortable,” said Marroquin Galvez. “And (the park) is not being used by other people in the community. And that’s just sad. It’s really sad to me.”

Tim Kessler, a neighbor of Marroquin Galvez on North Shore Drive, said no one should have to deal with being called a racial slur.

“I’ve been told that I’m part of the problem because I go over and confront the kids, we’re not supposed to do that,” said Kessler. “I have a lot of experience with firearms, but I have not owned one ever, but I’m starting to feel that I should arm myself because this nonsense doesn’t seem to get under control.”

Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd said officers and dispatchers have also noticed an uptick in incidents at City Park this spring and summer, and added he plans to continue extra patrols and station an extra officer in the park as often as he can to keep the rowdiness down.

Members of the city council also discussed installing more cameras at the problem area, but were worried that, after the more than $10,000 camera installation, the tailgaters would just move to another part of the park, or someplace else in the city.

Changing the hours of the park, creating a loitering ordinance for the city and adding more police officers to the department’s roster were also discussed during the meeting as possible solutions to the park problem.

Member of the city council and Chief Todd both said they plan to address the issue until the situation is resolved.

No official actions were taken during the public safety committee meeting on Monday or at the city council meeting on Tuesday, but members expect to try multiple solutions to address the public’s concerns in coming months.