E.L. police: Weekend tame; Lansing sees crowd of 500

SN staffers observe night with E.L. police

| The State News East Lansing Police Sgt. Larry Sparkes copies insurance information from Adrienne Popp, a social relations junior, after a parking enforcement officer called for police backup early Sunday morning. Popp and her roommate were involved in a ticketing-and-towing dispute involving two cars that were illegally parked in the girls' spots outside their apartments. Sgt. Sparks and Popp filed a police report.

East Lansing police Sgt. Larry Sparkes lowered the windows, quieted the radio and shifted to a more relaxed lean inside his police vehicle Saturday night, readying himself for another ride.

"Welcome Week is more the same, more people in town, but we expect that," said Sparkes, who has worked in the East Lansing Police Department for 19 years.

"But we are used to going from nothing to something like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "It's just part of the job."

As Sparkes waits at a stop sign to enter the Cedar Village apartment complex, he allows large crowds of pedestrians to walk in front of him.

"People, I swear, step out in traffic without looking," he said. "I have to think for them."

11:05 p.m.

Despite noticing several overcrowded apartment balconies with loud partygoers, Sparkes is more intent on people walking past the car.

"I want to see what they have in their hands," he said. "Seeing the car sometimes does a lot of good. They stand a little straighter and drop what they have."

11:09 p.m.

While traversing continuous stop signs on Linden Street driving westbound, a man walking with a large group of people drops a full beer can and yells to Sgt. Sparkes, "I'm sober now, officer."

Without hesitation, Sgt. Sparkes yells back "That's good," with a laugh, and continues driving.

"Things like that make the job interesting," he said.

11:14 p.m.

As one of about 35 police officers in cars, on foot, bike or horse, Sparkes is assigned to patrol the whole city. While traveling north on Abbott Road, he spots a yellow Jeep barrelling through a red left-turn light on East Saginaw Street.

After making a right turn, Sparkes turns on his siren and signals for the vehicle to stop. The car stops on Portage Path near the intersection of Saginaw Street and Abbott Road. The heads of the four people inside snap to the left as Sgt. Sparkes approaches the vehicle.

11:21 p.m.

After returning to his vehicle, Sparkes turns off the blinding spotlight and flashing overhead lights and lets the man off with a warning.

11:46 p.m.

An urgent call comes over Sparkes' dispatch radio from one of the two bicycle officers, who has abandoned his bike and trailed a suspect on foot.

11:47 p.m.

Sparkes arrives on M.A.C. Avenue, but turns his attention to a man carrying a 40-ounce bottle of Bud Light. The man, 2006 MSU graduate Matt Thomas, obeys Sgt. Sparkes' request to empty the open drink in the grass.

"I've been on the short end of the stick in my years here," Thomas said. "He was cool. I know I did wrong."

Sparkes then said: "People dictate how it goes. If we get cooperation, we are more inclined to give breaks. We want to have a good year and a good relationship."

12:53 a.m.

A report of a burning couch on the 500 block of Virginia Avenue blares across the police radio. Sgt. Sparkes nears the location, but the couch is abandoned and East Lansing Fire Department officials extinguish the blaze.

1:03 a.m.

Sgt. Sparkes responds to a call from an East Lansing Parking and Code Enforcement official who is waiting with two women at University Terrace Apartments. One of the women, social relations junior Adrienne Popp, requests to file a report to cite damage to her vehicle; the running board was ripped off and a large dent was made to the back bumper.

1:29 a.m.

Sparkes tells State News reporter Maggie Lillis and photographer Katie Rausch that he will drop them off at the police station because "things are picking up a little bit on M.A.C. Avenue again."

1:51 a.m.

State News staff members then travel on foot to the 7-Eleven on Grove Street as police tend to two men. One man allegedly started a fight with another man. A woman, who left shortly after police arrived, tried to break up the fight.

"It always gets busy when the bars are letting out," said East Lansing police Lt. Lance Langdon as he filled out paperwork. Most bars in East Lansing close around this time.

1:59 a.m.

A man in a striped shirt is forced to remain seated on the opposite end of the convenience store's parking lot by East Lansing police officers. The officers decline to reveal information about the man or the incident.

2:03 a.m.

Perched at the corner of Abbott Road and Elizabeth Street, Lt. Kevin Daley watches as groups begin to head home, some yelling into their cell phones or linking arms with friends.

"We've done a lot of Welcome Weeks and we know they're going to party whether we like it or not," he said.