05/21/2014 Board of Public Safety Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MAY 21, 2014 35 within the department such as the Critical Incident Team, N.E.S.T., Honor Guard, and as a Field Training Officer for the Patrol Division. Upon a motion made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Taylor and carried, the promotion was accepted and approved. Deputy Mayor Mark Neal pinned Lieutenant Bennett's badge on her and joined the Board in congratulating her. APPROVE PROMOTION TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT IN SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT — ANTHONY BONTRAGER In a letter to the Board, Police Chief Ronald Teachman requested that Sergeant Anthony Bontrager be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Investigative Division in Special Assignment effective May 21, 2014, for a probationary period of one year. Chief Teachman stated that Sergeant Bontrager was appointed to the South Bend Police Department on August 19, 1998. Division Chief Steve Smith stated Lt. Bontrager has a BA in Business from Indiana University at South Bend. He has approximately sixteen (16) years of experience with the South Bend Police Department. After graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to the Patrol Division on the midnight shift. Lt. Bontrager became a Crime Scene Technician for the Patrol Division shortly after being hired. His skills and work ethic got him promoted to the Investigative Division in 2003 when he was assigned to the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit as Crime Scene Technician. He ultimately became an expert witness in bloodstain pattern analysis. In 2011, he was promoted to an Investigator within the same unit. While maintaining a heavy case load, Lt. Bontrager found time to design and develop a case and evidence management database for the entire unit which is still used today. Lt. Bontrager has provided several public speaking presentations as a representative of the homicide unit to a number of citizen groups and educational institutions. Lt. Bontrager has an incredible work ethic and has always represented the South Bend Police Department and himself in a positive and professional manner. Upon a motion made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Taylor and carried, the promotion was accepted and approved. Deputy Mayor Mark Neal pinned Lieutenant Bontrager badge on him and joined the Board in congratulating him. Deputy Mayor Neal stated on behalf of the City it is a true pleasure to honor these officers. He noted everyone just heard from their Chief how skilled these officers are at their craft and what good leaders they are. He emphasized it is truly an honor to be able to be a part of this ceremony. Mr. Jones stated he would just like to say a thank you for the professionalism of the Police Department, noting an incident in his family that required Police assistance. He stated he also had the privilege to sit in on the interviews of potential candidates for the Police Department and was stunned with the quality of people. He thanked those officers present on behalf of the Police Department for their courage, leadership, and professionalism. APPROVAL OF SPECIAL POLICE COMMISSION — GEORGE DHOORE Police Chief Ronald Teachman recommended that a Special Police Commission for Block by Block be issued to George Dhoore effective March 19, 2014, until revoked. This Commission is issued for the on- street patrol parking enforcement personnel and does not include the carrying of a weapon or the powers of arrest. The aforementioned individual has met the Commission requirements of the South Bend Police Department. Upon a motion made by Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Miller and carried, the Special Police Commission was approved as outlined above. ACCEPT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT APPLICATION In a letter to the Board, Lieutenant Christopher Voros stated on April 25, 2014, representatives from the South Bend and St. Joseph County Police Departments conferred in reference to a 2014 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant award in the amount of $90,184.00. It was agreed by both jurisdictions that the funds would be distributed with each department receiving an amount based on the FBI Crime Statistics /Population. The City of South Bend is the proposed grant administrator for this grant and will receive $72,147.00. One of the steps in the application process is to make the application available for public comment. Lieutenant Voros stated he is requesting the grant application be added to the Board of Safety agenda to fulfill this requirement. Ms. Vasquez stated the Board will accept the grant application and allow public comment during the Privilege of the Floor. FILING OF MONTHLY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS REPORT — APRIL 2014 Ms. Vasquez indicated that unless there were questions or objections by members of the Board, the statistical analysis report for the month of April, 2014, as submitted by the Police Department, would be accepted for filing. There being no objections, the following report was accepted for filing: