BAY CITY -- Michigan State Troopers have yet to finish up the many incident reports regarding events that took place during the final night of the Bay City Fireworks Festival on Saturday.
One state trooper, who has been working Bay County since the early 1990s, said Saturday night was the worst he ever saw in his years patrolling during festivals. He said parts of the city had been overcome with fights inside and outside of bars, drunk drivers, and even people driving on the sidewalk.
State troopers were assisting Bay County Sheriff’s deputies and local police with extra patrols during the three day festival. However it’s the first major event held in Bay City, since five police officers and one commander were cut from the department due to budget reasons.
Asked if the disobedience was likely due to the budget cuts, the trooper NBC25 spoke with said it was more likely due to heavy use of alcohol. “They were doing pretty much everything they shouldn’t be doing, obviously when alcohol is involved,” said Michelle Anderson, who attended the carnival with her sister Megan.
She said she learned of a particular fight Saturday night, with police interviewing witnesses after those involved ran away. But she also said it wasn’t anything new.
“It was crazy like always,” she said. “Lots of people.”
