03-25-13 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

19_ (0, ( 1\ Bill No. -13 Ordinance No. AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 13 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE INCLUSION OF NEW ARTICLE 12 ENTITLED CHRONIC PROBLEM PROPERTY REGULATIONS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT The South Bend Common Council notes that on January 30, 2013, Ronald Teachman was sworn in as the 61St Chief of Police of the South Bend Police Department. During his remarks, Chief Teachman listed the nine (9) basic "Peelian Principles" which have become the basic foundation of law enforcement and community policing. The first principle provides that "The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder". The third principle provides that "Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public". The Common Council further recognizes that the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policy Services (COPS) has developed a wide variety of articles setting forth research and "best practices" on a variety of police enforcement and crime prevention strategies. Consistent with the Peelian Principles, COPS research and research from other communities, the following ordinance has been developed to give another tool for our City. The ordinance advances legitimate public purposes which are designed to protect the valuable services provided by the Police Department. Valued police services should not be wasted in responding repeatedly to problem properties, when other areas of the city are in need of these vital public safety services. We also recognize the need for Code Enforcement to inspect many chronic problem properties within the City. This results in added time and resources being dedicated to repeat visits to chronic problem properties, which detract from the inspectors responsibilities to other properties throughout the City. It is also designed to be a catalyst for the Police Department, Code Enforcement Department and the Law Department to collaborate more effectively together among themselves and with the Common Council and the public, when addressing chronic problem properties. Through the analysis of calls for service, problem locations/properties can be identified. The data on calls for service include among other things the number of calls by hour and day; number of calls by beat; calls which required backup; and time spent by police officer(s) on each call as it is categorized. This ordinance is solutions-oriented so that identified problem areas and the underlying causes of such problem properties are routinely addressed with the support of the community. By abating such problem locations, the time of the "beat officer"in particular would be freed up to provide such needed public safety services in other areas of the City.