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SOUTHA11 w. BEND MAY 2006 3 '% Z4�v MAYOR(((...S,,,T /WN L Luecke�/��(� Z/( Letter from the Mayor THIS MONTH... Front: Mayor's Letter Dear Friends &Neighbors: Back: Summer in South Bend! Last month,the South Bend Police Dept. and our entire community experienced a great loss. Officer Scott Severns was killed protecting the life of another person,while trying to foil a robbery attempt. He gave his life fulfilling his commitment and his pledge as a Police Officer to protect others. This is a terrible loss for the Severns family, 0 . Scott's fellow officers and our community. I would like to share with you a brief glimpse of the life and the commitment of this young South Bend Police Officer. Scott is a true hero and will be remembered for his highly decorated eight years in law enforcement. He was a four time recipient of the Officer of the Month Award,the Chief's Award for Valor, a Unit Meritorious Service award for his work on the SWAT team, and Police Officer of the Year for 2004. ■ , Cpl. Sevems was a long-time member of the Midnight Shift-Patrol Division and had recently transferred to the Metro Special Operations Section as a Narcotics Investi- gator. Scott possessed a great work ethic, extreme courage, and dedication to the South Bend Police Department and to our community. His goal was to one day become CPL. SCOTT SEV ERNS a K-9 Officer and follow in the footsteps of his father, Dennis. In fact, Scott was a PN2018 third generation South Bend Police Officer. 1969-2006 As the events of the evening unfolded on April 21, I continued to be impressed with the professionalism and determination of our South Bend Police Department officers and command staff. Throughout the night, our officers worked quickly and diligently to gather important crime scene evidence. They supported each other in the wake of this tragedy and they joined together to ensure that our entire community continued to be protected and to receive the services that they provide day in and day out. I want to recognize Chief Thomas Fautz and the members of the South Bend Police Department for all of their efforts during this very trying time. Our outstanding team, along with the statewide FOP Memorial Team and volunteers from all of the area law enforcement and fire services agencies coordinated resources so that family and fellow officers were able to receive counseling and support services. In spite of their own sorrow, this group of dedicated individuals demonstrated compassion in the face of tragedy and exemplified what it means to be a Public Safety Officer. I also want to thank everyone who answered the call to donate blood in the aftermath of the shooting, or took the time to offer prayers and encouragement for Cpl. Severns and his family and friends. I encourage you to take the opportunity to express thanks to a police officer and those who protect our community. They are ordinary people who have accepted the extraordinary responsibility of putting their lives on the line for the rest of us, every day. This event is a sobering reminder of the pain and loss that guns and violence can inflict on our community. Violence separates parents from children, for both the victim and the perpetrator. It is appropriate at this time to remember that everyone in our community suffers this loss, and everyone has a responsibility to help ensure a Safe City by abiding by our laws, and by investing in our neighborhoods and young people. I urge you to consider becoming involved in a mentoring program through your local faith center or school, a neighborhood association, or partner in one of the many community outreach programs through the South Bend Police Dept.,to help create a community of hope and cooperation. Only through - partnering together to help resolve issues of drugs, violence, peer pressure, and �BQD family issues can we create a fitting memorial to Cpl. Severns, and the men and / ' t women who dedicate their lives to protecting us. co�rtry°`"° E Sincerely, Mayor Steve