Members of the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission questioned crowd control tactics police used during Michigan State University’s welcome weekend at the body’s Sept. 2 meeting.
There was an increased police presence downtown for welcome weekend this year, as more than 100 officers from seven agencies, drones, a helicopter and police horses were deployed, with many resources dedicated to the downtown area. During MSU’s welcome weekend from Friday, Aug. 28 through Sunday, Aug. 30, the ELPD and partners made 35 arrests and issued 134 citations while responding to 348 calls for service, according to a preliminary summary the department published.
Members of the Police Oversight Commission questioned the decision to deploy police horses downtown. Commissioners said historically law enforcement has used horses for slave patrols and the deploying mounted officers can be traumatic for some people to see…