There are a lot of reasons that Electric Forest in Michigan remains a favorite festival among most who have experienced it. Beyond the stages, the lineup, the magical setting, it’s also the community relations between promoters Insomniac and Madison House and the locals.

Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police`, just penned an op-ed with local publication MLive in which he calls the Electric Forest experience “amazing.”

The Electric Forest Festival, in the Village of Rothbury, is a shining example of police-community relations at its best. The unique partnership formed here happened mostly because all involved are willing to move outside their comfort zones, but more importantly, both groups respect each other.

According to Gasper, MSP and festival attendees interact famously when everyone is acting in a safe and conscientious way. “For the first time this year, the MSP made and traded our own personalized ‘Kandi,’ roughly 600 pieces,” he writes. “It was awesome.”

Electric Forest continues to shine as a beacon for other festivals to aspire to. You can read Col. Gasper’s full op-ed here.

Photo credit: Andraya Croft | MLive.com