The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is working to address the ongoing issues with fights shutting down Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.
It happened again Sunday, and Sheriff Chuck Heit stood alongside St. Joseph Department of Public Safety Director Steve Neubecker Monday night during the St. Joseph City Commission meeting to talk about how they intended to respond. The two reported their departments will meet this week to further refine the action plan for the beach this summer. Heit said he’s also looking at options on the county level.
“We’re working with our corporate council to look at the current ordinance that’s set for Silver Beach and ways we may be able to change some things when it comes to trespassing,”Heit said. “Other issues, I’ve authorized what we call 90-day misdemeanors — disturbing peace — to be lodged in jail. For that, we’re looking at the juvenile issue, working with the juvenile center, and just trying to hold people accountable for their actions.”
A fight involving a group of young people who showed up to the beach around 8 p.m. Sunday led to some citations and the park being shut down early.
The sheriff’s department is asking anyone with cell phone video of the incident to come forward so it can help identify some of those involved.
