Jim Marks Takes Lead at Police Department, Calls for Community, Staff Interaction
By Karen Gould

Jim Marks will take over as chief of police on Mackinac Island in early September. Standing on Main Street Friday, August 17, he said he plans to have a visible presence on the Island and be available to residents and visitors.

Officer Jim Marks grew up knowing he wanted to be a police officer, and shortly after completing high school in Northville, he entered law enforcement. Now, after a 36- year career and the experience of winter living on Mackinac Island, he has agreed to take command of the Mackinac Island Police Department on a probationary basis. He will move into the lead role when Chief Bill Lenaghan moves downstate in September.

Over the next five months, Mr. Marks and the city council will decide if he will be hired as chief full time.

"I know he'll do well," said Chief Lenaghan. "I know he knows the organization well enough that he'll accomplish the goals we have set of this department."

Last winter, six officers staffed the department. Staffing levels for this year are being evaluated, Chief Lenaghan said.

Mr. Marks already knows what he wants to accomplish in the next few months, and that includes continuing two programs already in place, community policing and providing the Island school with a resource officer. While law enforcement remains a priority for the department, he expects Island officers to become involved in the community and to be friendly with residents and visitors.

"My leadership training and philosophy is you lead by example," he said. "I'm going to stress to the officers that they need to become involved, that they need to be community friendly.

"Hopefully, I can continue the open-door policy, and people will feel comfortable coming to me, talking to me, and voicing their concerns."

As if to accentuate his accessibility, he added, "My goal is to get out of the office and be downtown."

Jim Marks began working on the Island as a seasonal officer last summer. Chief Lenaghan had been his instructor in the early 1980s at the police academy, and the two men worked together occasionally downstate.

"I told him to put in an application, and he would be interviewed," said Chief Lenaghan of the Island job.

In February, Chief Lenaghan offered Mr. Marks a year-around position, which included working as the school resource officer, spending several hours each day with students. The program builds a bridge between law enforcement and the students, he said, and helps students feel comfortable around the officer and become more willing to discuss concerns with police staff.

Mr. Marks also would like to see the department become more involved in school activities, including sports and other after-school events.

"I think it is very important in building respect with the kids in the community," he said.

Working with young people is not new to Officer Marks.

His career started with security work for a railroad, then as a police cadet in the city of Northville. Two years later, he became a patrol officer. He worked as a part-time detective, a field training officer, a logistics officer for the emergency management program, and by 1994, he became a police sergeant. Officer Marks also became Northville's first Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officer.

"It was kind of unique to work in the city where I grew up," he said. "I was able to work with a lot of the teachers who had an influence on my life for several years before they retired."

Officer Marks' wife, Nancy, moved to the Island in April and now works part-time at Alford's Drug Store. The couple has five children, seven grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren.

"It's an adjustment up here, but it's how you view the adjustment," said Mr. Marks. "There's a lot of activities, if you want to become involved in the community, and both my wife and I like to become involved."

In the summer, the police department is busy with the influx of seasonal workers and visitors, he said, and most crimes are alcohol or drug related, usually involving fights or arguments. Activity drops over the winter, with about 500 year-around residents living on the Island.