By PAULENE POPARAD

Porter Metropolitan Police Commission members said Tuesday they don’t believe Police Department personnel should be directly involved in the town Park Department’s rental arrangements for the Hawthorne Park community building.

Meeting separately last night, the Park Board adopted a revised rental policy that puts responsibility for returning the key for the community building on the renter, who now will be required to place it in a locked drop-box. Previously, the key was returned to police.

A community building key came up missing and the Police Department paid $110 to have the building’s locks re-keyed. Police Commission president Karen Pisowicz told Police Chief James Spanier, “You were blamed for a key that was lost and that’s not right.”

Pisowicz and Police Commission member Linda Hodges also rapped having a community-building renter come to the Porter police station to get the key, where a police dispatcher will make a copy of the renter’s driver’s license before handing it over.

Park administrator Stephanie Miller said it makes sense for police to hand out the key because “we never know when (the renter) will come for it” and someone is on duty at the police station at all hours.

Pisowicz said police are not park employees. “Someone’s getting paid by the Park Department to do these jobs. I take issue.” Another sore point for her and Hodges was the fact the Park Department requires renters to contact Porter Police assistant chief Todd Allen to arrange for an officer to be on duty when security is needed for a rental event.

“That’s not part of your job,” Hodges told Spanier. Pisowicz agreed.

Spanier said while it’s not the Police Department’s responsibility, the town, not just the Park Department, could be drawn into a lawsuit if something unfortunate happens at the community building. “Ultimately, we have to look at what’s best for the town to have a police officer there we know and approve.”

Miller and her husband, park superintendent Jim Miller, both said they have no access to police schedules to find security guards. Furthermore, by having Porter police first post the community-building security jobs in-house, it gives their officers the opportunity to make extra money. Spanier said when no one signs up, only then does Allen make calls to find an available officer elsewhere for park security.

Spanier told the Police Commission he feels having park renters responsible for the key and police for security is a compromise between departments.

Speaking during public comment, resident Jennifer Klug said as a citizen she feels more comfortable having the Police Department find the security officers for the community building. As Hodges and Pisowicz pressed the matter, they were told the Park Board meeting would begin soon; neither attended. Police Commission member Bill Donley was absent.

Park Board members briefly discussed the wording change for contracts for community-building rentals regarding the key drop-box and associated costs if a key is lost. By a 3-0 vote with member Becky Maranto absent the Park Board also made the new language an addendum to already-signed contracts for future rental events; the renters will be so notified.

In other Police Commission business, Spanier reported that a malfunction of the police station’s antenna over several weeks that would cost a minimum $3,000 to repair has been determined to be caused by a lightning strike last fall. The town’s insurance carrier has agreed to include the antenna in a previous claim for lightning damage and no deductible will be assessed for the new repair.

Spanier and the commission expressed their appreciation for an anonymous $5,000 donation that will be used to purchase new radar detectors.

The chief noted receipt of two letters of thanks. Lt. Larry Keiser, district commander of the Lowell Indiana State Police post, commended Porter Sgt. John McMahon and officers Martin Gonzalez and Tawni Kosmisarcik for their involvement in a manhunt for and apprehension of a ISP suspect Jan. 15 near U.S. 20 and County Road 500E.

Also, Shirley Thomas thanked Porter police personnel for finding out what happened to her son, David Pearson, who was found dead in his vehicle last year at a Porter truck stop.

Statistics for Porter police activity in January were not available Tuesday although mileage last month showed 11,983 miles traveled while on duty and 1,097 miles or 8 percent off-duty miles.

Posted 2/20/2008