By PAULENE POPARAD

Bill Donley, a member of the Porter Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners, said Tuesday he didn’t see what all the fuss was about if two town departments want to cooperate.

Commission members Linda Hodges and Karen Pisowicz agreed to drop their opposition to the Porter Police Department’s involvement with rentals at the Hawthorne Park community building, something the women said should be the job of Park Department employees.

Park Board president Zathoe Sexton and member Patty Raffin attended the commission meeting, as did park superintendent Jim Miller and administrator Stephanie Miller. Town Council members Bill Sexton and Michele Bollinger, park liaison, also were present.

Hodges and Pisowicz questioned Police Chief James Spanier at the February commission meeting about the park rentals and placed the matter on the March agenda, but with Donley absent those two months it was decided to wait until last night to discuss it at length.

Specifically, Hodges and Pisowicz objected to community-building renters having to go to the Police Department to pick up the key and to having the renter’s drivers license copied and held on file, then shredded when the key is retrieved from a drop box at the building after the event.

Additionally, the women said assistant chief Todd Allen is too busy to arrange for a security guard to work each rental that requires one to be present. Spanier said, although he prefers not being responsible, the key pick-up at the police station and Allen finding the guards, some from within Porter’s ranks, is an acceptable compromise because the Park Department isn’t open 24/7 like the police.

“I don’t think it’s the police job to give out the key,” said Hodges. “It’s nothing against the Park Board or park people. (Police) have enough to do than to be responsible for that.”

Donley asked how long the police have been doing the key. Spanier said nine years to his knowledge but late last year was the first time a key came up missing. Police originally paid to rekey the community building and for the drop box; Zathoe Sexton reimbursed the police $150 for that expense.

If it’s agreeable between the police chief and the Park Board and they’ve had only one bad occurrence in nine years, said Donley, he has no problem with the current arrangement.

Stephanie Miller said the 24/7 key pick-up from police is a convenience for renters; Hodges said she doesn’t see why Miller, who arranges the pre-rental contacts and contracts, wouldn’t want to walk around the community building with the renter to verify its condition, then give them the key. Zathoe Sexton said the Park Board can discuss that but it was not addressed publicly at the monthly park meeting following the Police Commission.

At one point Bill Sexton told Hodges and Pisowicz they are off base trying to run another department, and that they should have gone directly to the Park Board if they had concerns.

Zathoe Sexton told Pisowicz the Park Board never said police were responsible for the lost key, instead asking who’s responsible so the policy could be changed as needed to prevent it from happening again. Hodges said her only outlook is for the police, nevertheless, she’s willing to let the matter drop.

Bollinger told Hodges and Pisowicz, “I can understand your concern but I don’t understand why this is being rehashed over and over again. Yes, the Police Department is their own entity and the Park Board is their own entity and we’re both here to help the people. If it ain't broke, why are we trying to fix it?”

Replied Hodges, “We thought a different way. I feel strongly about it.” She denied rehashing the matter and said it was deferred to await Donley’s return.

In other Police Commission business, Donley asked if town police considered installing cameras at key Porter intersections. Spanier said in some big cities such cameras are being taken out because drivers are afraid to run a red light, slam on their brakes at a yellow light and cause accidents.

Police liaison town Councilman Jon Granat asked about the status of Porter police relocating their radio antenna to the planned 495-foot WBEZ FM radio transmission tower at U.S. 20 and Tremont Road at WBEZ’s expense. Sexton said engineering for the project is under way and Porter’s specifications would be sought.

By consensus the Police Commission gave Porter police permission to grow beards/goatees for this summer’s observance of the town’s 150th birthday if officers so desire.

Spanier reported that with the receipt of three new state-of-the-art radar units, Porter officers logged 126 traffic stops in March compared to 67 the previous month with 57 written traffic warnings issued in March, 58 citations and 31 verbal warnings. March showed 500 total calls, up 95 over February, including one armed robbery, three driving while suspended/prior, two each operating while intoxicated and OWI/refusal, and one each habitual traffic violator and leaving the scene of an accident.

Additional vehicle-related incidents showed one each abandoned vehicle, license-plate theft, theft from vehicle and vehicle theft.

March calls resulted in eight felony arrests and 22 for misdemeanors. There were eight calls due to property damage; six thefts; four criminal mischief; three battery; two each harassment, intimidation and warrant service; and one each runaway, suspicious circumstance, criminal confinement, disturbance, and fraud. There was one each possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. There were five business and three residence alarms activated, and 14 business checks made.

Animal calls numbered 13; there were three found property. Porter police made 81 assists to other jurisdictions, 17 citizen assists, two off-duty assists, and one each administrative report and civil matter. Eight VIN checks were made, four lockouts reported and two lost license plates. Of 49 calls to emergency 911, nine were misdials.

Police vehicles traveled 13,896 miles in March on-duty and 1,457 miles or 9 percent off-duty.

Posted 4/16/2008