Chief of Police Mark Wilk (officers named from left), along with new officers David Hoolsema and Travis Cooper, greet visitors downtown. The two officers, hired in June, have been routinely checking in with downtown businesses and answering questions from visitors. Directing the St. Ignace Police Department for his first summer as chief, Mark Wilk is introducing a new strategy for how officers interact with the public, encouraging them to talk with downtown business owners about their concerns and to field questions for visitors.

Parking meter reader David Hoolsema has been checking in with downtown business owners daily, and officer Travis Cooper has been walking downtown in the evenings. Both employees joined the staff in June.

“Previous law enforcement officers have always been talking to the public, but I wanted to make sure it was pushed even more,” explained Mr. Wilk. “Anybody who wears anything that says the City of St. Ignace, they are all representatives of this city. If we can do something to help anybody, whether they're a visitor or a resident, I think that's our responsibility.”

David Hoolsema, who is working part-time at the St. Ignace City Police Department this summer as a parking meter reader, has been checking in with business owners daily to address their concerns. He will be a sophomore at Northern Michigan University in the fall, where he is studying biochemistry. When he first started as a police officer, Mr. Wilk said he used to walk three hours a night during the summer months, answering people's questions and talking with business owners. That policy was discontinued by the department over the years, he said, and he decided to revive it this summer.

Originally, the purpose for having the two new officers meet people downtown was to help introduce them to the community, but it evolved into a public service when it became apparent there was a need for assisting business owners and visitors, Mr. Wilk said.

Mr. Hoolsema has served as a liaison between the department and business owners, Mr. Wilk said. The program has received positive feedback from several downtown businesses.

“One thing I like about him is he's willing to go store-to-store,” said Marcella Massey of Mackinac Properties about Mr. Hoolsema. “He points people in the right direction, and I think he's good PR for the city because he's so upbeat.”

Delina Belonga of Zak's Candy Haus agreed, saying business owners are appreciative of the service.

“The people really appreciate seeing that he's checking on things, and a lot of them comment on it. Usually you have people doing the parking meters and you never see them,” she said.

Ashleigh Therrian of The Locker Room said, “He's super friendly. He's always checking in with employees in the store and has answered a lot of questions for people coming in and out.”

The goal is to let the public know that the police department exists not only for law enforcement purposes, but to assist with common, everyday problems, said Mr. Hoolsema.

“I'm the public face of the department, because I'm seeing people all of the time. We're trying to let the people know that we're there, and we're here to help,” he said.

A detailed record of conversations with business owners and visitors is kept by both Mr. Hoolsema and Mr. Cooper, who report back to Mr. Wilk with any concerns that arise. On a typical shift, Mr. Cooper answers questions for at least 10 visitors and has already logged about 130 conversations over the course of the summer. Common questions include requests for directions from visitors and parking-related concerns from business owners.

“Those are questions that wouldn't be answered,” noted Mr. Wilk, who added that his officers are told to act as “walking information booths.”

He continued, “I've had a couple of people say that it's nice to see David come and talk to us and Travis out walking,” he added. “It shows that it's not just the police department driving around cars. We're trying to do a multitude of things.”

Meet David Hoolsema

A graduate of Rudyard High School, Mr. Hoolsema will be entering his sophomore year at Northern Michigan University this fall, where he is studying biochemistry.

His interest in biochemistry was sparked during a genetics laboratory experiment in his high school advanced placement biology class.

“We were taking DNA, cutting it into smaller pieces with enzymes, and running it through electrophoresis gel so that it spreads out and you can see the chunks underneath an ultraviolet light,” he said of the lab.

Upon graduation, he hopes to conduct similar laboratory research as a biochemist.

“A lot of the stuff biochemists get into is working with genetics,” he explained.

When he's not patrolling the streets in downtown St. Ignace, Mr. Hoolsema said he enjoys helping his father with masonry work and working on his family farm. He also enjoys reading science fiction novels and drawing.

Mr. Hoolsema added that he's enjoying working for the police department and would like to join the staff again next summer.