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Home My WebLink About02/11/1944 Board of Public Safety Minutes 2�� FIRE DEPARTti7ENT: Chief �7eVleescho�ver was present and mat�ers pertaining to his department were discussed. An application for the Fire Depart�ent �ras received fror;� A�thur Liomati. This was ordered filed. Several Trustees of Townships receiving fire service from the Fire � Departrzent of the City of South Bend, c�ere present at the meeting to - discuss •various problems tiv3:th the Board. - t�"JEIGHTS & r2EASURES: 1!Zr. �harles Burns, City Sealer, filed his rep�rt - for the ��veek er�ding February 5, 1944. - � ELECTRICAL DEPARTIy7ENT: A report from the Indiana and PZichigan Electric • Company was presented by ldr. Qualls, indicatinb that the Street �ight � at the front entrance of the Old '.�atch Factory on P�Zisha�raka Avenue h.ad • been insta7.led. � . There bein� no further business to come before the Board, the meeting zvas adjourned at 12:00 M. , AT�ES : � � C ha irman Clerk r�2EETING - FEBRUARY 11, 1944 A special meeting of the Board of Public Safety vras held on F'riday, �February 11, 1944. All memberg �Tere present. The meetin� tivas called for the purpose of hearing char�es �preferred against a member of the South Bend Cit� Police Dep artment, Ralph Light . It 1Jas moved, seconded and unanimously carried, that the Gity Attorney be instructed to prepare charges against �fficer Ral�h Light, that afficer Light be advised of said charges, and a copy of satne be delivered to him. Hearing on said charges to be held on �e",lednesda�, February 23, 1944 at 10:00 A.?�. A copy of said charges are attached hereto and made a part hereof: February 11, 1944 Mr. Ralph Light, 724 �orth Hi11 Street, South Bend, Indiana Dear Sir : You are hereby notified that the Board of Pu�lic ��orks and Safety of the City of South Bend� will meet at 10:00 ;�.M. � ti'Vednesday� February 23, 1944 at the office of the Board o� Public "l,�orks and Safety� Room 7.., City Hall, of the �ity of South Bend, Indiana, for the purpose of of hoTrling a hearing on certain charges hereinafter set forth, which charges have been preferred against you by the said Board. - It is chasged tha.t; . • . 1. You did, at or about the hour of 6 :45 P.r47. on January 20, 1944 allow one Norma Jean Evans, a female, aged 15, to get into the squad car which you �vere driving tivhile cruisin� within the City of South Bend, Indiana, without any suspicion that she had cor.mlitted any violation of the law, or that she t�vas about to coirnnit any violation c�f the law; that you did cruise around while on duty with the said Norma J2an Evans in your squad car; that, as the Board Believe, you did, on numerous other occasions, permit and allo�v other young girls and people to get into your squad car while you �Tere on duty and allowe� them to ride z�ith you in said squad car. 2'�5 2. an January 20, 1944, at or about the hour of 6 :45 P.r�I. ��fhile on duty you did request one Norma Jean Evans, a feraale, a;ed 15, to get into a squad car which you ti^rere driving rrhile. you were cruising tivith the City of South Bend, Indiana; that you requested her to get into said equad car v�ithout ang suspicion that she had committed any violation or was about to coirnnit �.ny violation of the lati�; that you then proceeded to drive witY�her out into the outskirts of the Cit� of South Bend, Indiana, where you proceeded to have sexual intercourse v�Tith the said Vorma Jean Evans, in the back seat of the said squad car, �he being a minor, aged 15, a�ainst her will and without her consent and by force. 3. an the evening of January 20, 1944, bet�een the hours of 6:00 o �clocl� and 6:45 o tclock you tivere present in the horne of John_ Herringer, 1341 North Prieade Street, South Bend, Indiana, not�vithstandin� you vrere not requested to go t,her� in the line of your duty, and that you vrere on duty at said time; that on many previous occasions v�hile on'duty and not in the line of dut;�, you visited with the said John Herrin�er and his wife� in their home. 4. Upon inquiry by the Chief of the South Bend City Police Foree, as to whether you did take the said Norma Jean Evans in�o your squad car on the night of January 20, 1944, you replied in the negative, and further- more yo.0 stated that you had never seen her before; that thereafter you did state and admit to the Chief that some woman �r�as in yo�r squad car on the euening of January 20, 1944, and- signed a nmitten report to that ef'fect. • - ' 5. Your act of taking the said Norma Jean Evans into your squad car v�hile on duty and without provocation, -and your act of ta.king other girls and people into your squad car vrhile on dut;�, constitutes isr�n.oral conduct and .conduct injurious to the publie peace -and welfare, and con- stitutes conduct �unbecoming an Officer,• as set forth in Burns Indiana Statutes, 1933, Section 48-6105. Such conduct further constitutes a violation of rule 8 of the South Bend City Police Depart:nent, adopted b� the �oard of Public q"�orl.�s and Safety on the 18th day of September, 1939 . Said rule 8 provides that Police E�fficers shall avoid any conduct or speech ��vhich is subversive to good conductr or discipline. Said conduct further constitutes a violation of rule 12, 1vhich prov3.des •that Officers shall not conduct themselves in an i�moral indecent, le��vd or disorderly manner, nor in a manner yJhich might be construed by an observer as immoral, indecent•, letivd or disorderly, and said rule 12 further provides that Police Officer�s shall not be guilty of any nisconduct or conduct prejudicial to �ood order and discipline or conduct unbecor,ling an Officer and Gentleman. 6. Your conduct in taking the said PTcrma Jean Evans out to the outslfl.rts of. the City of South Bend, Indiana, and having sexual intercourse with her under conditions as above alleged, also constitutes a violation of the provisions of Section 48-6105, Burns Indiana Statutes, 1933, as above alleged, a violation of rule 8 of the South Bend C3ty Police Department, as above• alleged, and aviolation oi rule 12, as above alleged. 7. Your act of telline an untruth to the South Bend Ci�ief of Police, as above alleged, cons�itutes a violation oi rule 4, of the South Bend Cit� Police Department rules; requiring �fficers to speak the truth at all times. - � . � 8. Your conduct in being in the horne of John Herringer on the night of January 20, 1944, and other nights z7hile ,ou ti�rere on dut�, constitutes a violation of rule 5 of the said regulations, i�hich provide that officers shall not be absent from duty 1�ithout perr.iission. 9. Your conduct in permitting and alloi�ing persons to get into your squad car and ride �vhile �ou vrere on duty constitutes a violation of �en- eral unvrritten laws of the Police Depar�nant, and a violation of a special written order posted by the Chief of Police on the 7th day of June, 1943. Dated this llth day of February, 1944. - ` � Respectfully yours, EQARD OF PUt3LIC SVQRKS AND SAFETY James F. Conboy, �lerk. 2�� There being no further. business to come bePore the Board the meetin� vras adjourned. � �TT�ST: � � Chairman Clerk � P�IEETING - FEBRUARY 14, 1944 A regular meeting of the Board of Public Safety was held on I�Zonday, February 14, 1944 at 10:30 A.lV7. All mernbers were present . r�7inutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Salary claims in the amount of �24,916.71 �rere approved and ordered paid. Claims of the following suppliers in the amount of ti-+�1,311.79 were approved and ordered paid: SaQn Berman �231.06 PdcCaffery Co. � 35.52 Central Scien�ific Co. 2.85 G. E. 114eyer & Son 7.90 Ci�ty ��Jater �'Jor��s 338.88 I�Zorningside Pharmacy 4.50. Commercial Sound & Radio 169 .73 Purdue University 4.20 Davies Laundry 3.20 Purdue Unive�sity 1.50 C. E. Devring 18.00 River Park Lumber Co. 9.�5 Edwards Iron �°�orks 6.79 Royal Typewriter Co. 4.00 Harry T. �reretts 11.25 Schez�nan-Schaus-Freeman Co. 1.01 Galvin T;Zfg. Cor�p. .61 Scherman-Schaus-Free�an Co. 2.96 Galvin I�+Tf,. Corp. 90.00 SchillinU�s Inc. 11.52 Goodyear Service 101.00 South Bend Feed & Seed Co. 7.90 Goodyear Service 14.35 South Bend Glass u�Jorks .40 Ind. & T,Sich. Elec. Co. 68.18 South Bend Supply Co. 81.57 I,IcCaffery �o. .96 George �+�`yman Co. 81.00 POLICE DEPART:�:TENT: Chief Everett v�ras present and matters pertaining to his depart�nent tivere discussed. Patrol..*nan Ralph D. Light, havin� been served tivith charges of violatiion of rules and regula�ions of the Palice Department, tendered his resignation as a Police Gfficer. Said resignation being in his - o;vn handtivriting, to be effective February 14, 1944. The resignation �rras accepted effective that date. The acceptance of the resignation as of this date does not set aside the suspension of the C�fficer by the �hief of Police as of February 3, 1944. Chief �verett vaas authorized to make use of an� and al1 lines throughout the city formerly used for the o1d Police li�ht flasher, systems, for any modern purpose of value to the Police Depart�:�ent . Bonds for Special Police Officer� tivere approved for Ernes� eJillia� �TJendt and D. Sherman �llison, and a continuation certificate rvas approved for Blaine Cripe. The se ��vere all ordered fi led. FIRE DEPARTIs-IENT: Chief DeVleeschower ;vas present and mat�ers pertaining to his depart_nent �rrere discussed. Applications for the Fire Department ylere approved for lTelvin Hickey and Herman J. Andert . These trere ordered filed. , The Board approved the contract for fire service to Harris To�vn- ship, signed by the Advisor� Boar d and P. �H. Go�ley, Trustee. The rire Chief� presented a letter to the Board indicatin� that the probationary period of Steven Olativsl�i having been successfully completed, he novv recommends that Steven ala��vski be placed on the permanent rire ' Department. The Bo ard approved the Chiefs recommendation and authorized Steven Glatirski be placed on the permanent rire Departrnent . �iJEIGHTS & P�ZEASURES: T,Zr. Charles Burns, City Sealer, filed his repor� for the ti�veel� ending February 12, 1944. � There b eing no further business to come before the Board, the meetin$ �rras adjourned at 11:�0 A S : n Chairma 17� er