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D.A.R.T. program targets young, first-time criminals

Posted: 4:28 PM Apr 27, 2012
Reporter: Shannon Kantner

D.A.R.T. program targets young, first-time criminals

Spend time in jail or spend time picking up roadkill. Those are the sentencing options non-violent criminals in Ingham County face now thanks to Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth's announcment of the Dead Animal Recovery Team, or D.A.R.T.

"I hope it will be a two-prong approach to this issue," Sheriff Wriggelsworth said. "One is it makes our roads cleaner, the other is it gives our judges alternatives to sentencing."

D.A.R.T. is a new way for 55th District judges to send a wake up call to minor offenders.

"If you've got a young person who doesn't seem to be getting the idea that this is a serious situation being in court, you might want to do something short of sending them to jail in order to get their attention," Judge Donald Allen said.

In his court, he said a Minor In Possession might be the right candidate for D.A.R.T.

Young Lansing residents have mixed reviews for the potential punishment.

"It's a pretty good way to learn your lesson," said Lansing Community College student Mary Jane Orta. "I mean, I don't really want to sit on the side of the road scraping up roadkill. It smells really gross, and just not fun at all."

Her classmate disagreed.

"I guess the jail time would be better," said Regine Cherry. "It would make you sit and think about what you need to do to get your priorities straight."

People sentenced to D.A.R.T. will be supervised by a volunteer deputy sheriff in a well-marked police vehicle and a special trailer created for the program. It will come equipped with gloves, shovels and reflective vests. The team will only clean surface streets.

All of it was paid for using the inmates' booking fees.

"We wanted to find a way to do this cheaply," Sheriff Wriggelsworth said. "The costs for the jail are in excess of $36 a day to hold someone, so if you take three people every time we do this, it's going to save the tax payers money."

He said the only cost for tax payers is the gas money used in the police SUV.

Ingham County wants to begin using D.A.R.T. as soon as next weekend. If you have a dead animal you need removed, call 517-676-8220 or visit the Sheriff's Office website.