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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/21/2014 Board of Public Safety MinutesPUBLIC AGENDA SESSION MAY 21, 2014 32 The Board of Public Safety met in the Public Agenda Session at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 in the 13th Floor Board Conference Room, County -City Building, 227 West Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, with Board President Laura Vasquez and Board Members Eddie Miller, Luther Taylor, and Daniel Jones present. Board Member John Collins was absent, Also present was Fire Chief Stephen Cox, Police Chief Ronald Teachman, and Attorney Cory Hamel. Board members discussed the following agenda items: - Promotion to Captain — Police Chief Ronald Teachman informed the Board that on Friday, May 23, 2014, Lieutenant Scott Hanley would be officially promoted to Captain in the Training Auditorium at the Police Station. He invited those present to attend the ceremony. - Promotion to Patrolman 1" Class Chief Teachman stated all of the Patrolmen being promoted today have matured in tenure and work ethics and are more than deserving of the promotions. He added he will have more to say about the officers during the regular meeting. - Promotions to Lieutenant in Special Assignment Chief Teachman stated Division Chief Steve Smith will have more information at the regular meeting regarding each of these individuals being promoted. He noted that Sergeant Dominic Zultanski is the burglary unit commander, which is the crime category showing the greatest reduction statistically, due in part to Sergeant Zultanski's efforts. He noted Sergeant Zultanski is a teacher at a University and highly educated. Attorney Cory Hamel stated Sergeant Zultanski teaches classes on white collar crime in the area and is considered a regional leader in that area. Both the Chief and Attorney Hamel stated Sergeant Zultanski is very deserving of this promotion. Chief Teachman noted that Sergeant Amy Bennett is % of a Police family and is assigned to the Special Victims unit, one of the toughest units that deals with sexual assault, family violence, and other family crimes. The Chief and Attorney Hamel agreed she is very good at her job and very deserving of the promotion. Chief Teachman stated Sergeant Anthony Bontrager is a model detective and also very deserving of his promotion. - U.S. Department of Justice Assistance Grant Chief Teachman stated putting this grant application on the agenda fulfills the requirement of the grant to give Public Notice and allow the public to speak. He explained the grant is a joint grant with the county and the allocations have been agreed to by both the City and the County. - Monthly Statistical Analysis — Police Department Chief Teachman noted an overall reduction in crime statistics of 6% for the month of April. He stated he is still troubled by the increase in some crimes, particularly aggravated assault and rape. Chief Teachman stated with the new reporting criteria on rape outlined by the FBI earlier this year, the statistics have caught up and are finally a true comparison to last year's statistics. He suggested that rape is one crime that does not need to be reported for insurance purposes and that may be a factor in why it is not always reported. - Monthly Statistical Analysis — Fire Department Chief Stephen Cox stated overall fire volume was down in the month of April. He noted in 2013, arson was still being reported; now it is broken down into four (4) categories. He explained that an "undetermined cause" is still under investigation and eventually may be moved to another category once the cause of the fire is determined, so it may show up several times. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Fire Chief Stephen Cox stated due to ten (10) graduates next month he would like to request the meeting of June 18, 2014, be held at the Fire Department Training Center, subject to construction. He noted there will be an open house held at the center on July 1, 2014. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board the meeting adjourned at 8:50 a.m. BOA 'OF PUBLIC SAFETY Laura A. Vasquez, President i i Eddie Miller, Member PUBLIC AGENDA SESSION ATTEST: i M .Martin, Clerk MAY 21, 2014 33 EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY 2_1 2014 The Board of Public Safety met in the Executive Session on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 8:52 a.m. The meeting was held in the Board Conference Room, 13th Floor, County City Building, South Bend, Indiana, for the purposes specified in I.C.5- 14- 1.5- 6.1(b)(2)(A)6(A). Board President Laura Vasquez and Board Members Eddie Miller, Luther Taylor, and Daniel Jones were present. Board Member John Collins was absent. Also present were Fire Chief Stephen Cox, Police Chief Ronald Teachman, and Attorney Cory Hamel. Board members did not discuss any subject matter other than the subject matter as specified in the Public Notice. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 a.m. TTEST: 4c i Linda M. Martin, Clerk BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY Laura Vasquez, President Q l"f f Eddie Miller, Member Jo Collins, Member Luther Taylor, e er Daniel Jones, ember REGULAR MEETING MAY 21, 2014 The Board of Public Safety met in the Regular Meeting at 9:23 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, with Board President Laura Vasquez and Board Members Eddie Miller, Luther Taylor, and Daniel Jones present. Board Member John Collins was absent. Also present were Police Chief Ronald Teachman, Fire Chief Stephen Cox, and Attorney Cory Hamel. The meeting was held in the Board Conference Room, 13`h Floor, County City Building, South Bend, Indiana. APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS Upon a motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Miller and carried, the Board approved the Minutes of the Public Agenda Session, Executive Session, and Regular Meetings of April 16, 2014, and the Special Meeting of May 9, 2014 as presented. POLICE DEPARTMENT APPROVE PROMOTION TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN — SCOTT HANLEY In a letter to the Board, Police Chief Ronald Teachman requested that Lieutenant Scott Hanley be REGULAR MEETING MAY 21, 2014 34 promoted to the rank of Captain in the Investigative Division. Chief Teachman noted that Lieutenant Hanley was appointed to the Police Department on October 1, 1993. In his over twenty (20) years with the Department, Lt. Hanley has served in the Uniform Division, Special Weapons and Tactics team, instructor of the Strategies and Tactics of Patrol Stops, and is currently a Lieutenant in the Investigative Division. Chief Teachman invited the Board to attend the official promotion at the Police Station on May 23, 2013. The Board recognized Lt. Hanley and congratulated him. Upon a motion made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Miller and carried, the promotion to Captain was approved effective May 23, 2014. ACCEPT AND APPROVE PROMOTIONS TO PATROLMAN 1sT CLASS - Corey Calvert - Casey Hof - Adonis Joseph - Brandon Stec - Matthew Weller In a letter to the Board, Police Chief Ronald Teachman recommended that Patrolmen Corey Calvert, Casey Hof, Adonis Joseph, Brandon Stec, and Matthew Weller, be promoted from the rank of Patrolman 2 "d Class, to the rank of Patrolman 1St Class effective May 31, 2014. Chief Teachman stated in a letter to the Board that all of the candidates have successfully completed three (3) years of service with the South Bend Police Department. Chief Teachman stated these promotions are not just for time and service, but also performance on the job and all are well deserved. Upon a motion made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Taylor and carried, the recommended promotions were approved. APPROVE PROMOTION TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT IN SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT — DOMINIC ZULTANSKI In a letter to the Board, Police Chief Ronald Teachman requested that Sergeant Dominic Zultanski 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. In his letter, Chief Teachman stated that Sergeant Zuhanski was appointed to the South Bend Police Department on March 25, 1996. Division Chief Steve Smith stated Sergeant Zuitanski was hired as the Director of Detention at Parkview Juvenile Detention Center in 1994. He obtained a BS in Criminology from Indiana State University, and a MS in Economic Crime Management from Utica College. Chief Smith noted he is currently an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University at South Bend and formally at the University of Southern New Hampshire. He graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and was assigned to the Patrol Division on the midnight shift. In 2001, he was promoted to the Investigative Division as a Detective handling the influx of terrorism and anthrax cases and became the Homeland Security and Terrorism Liaison Officer. In 2002, he was named South Bend Police Officer of the year. He worked approximately ten (10) years in Financial Crimes and became an Adjunct Instructor for the National White Collar Crime Center. He currently works as the supervisor of the Burglary Unit and the Operational Manager of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. Upon a motion made by Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Miller and carried, the promotion was accepted and approved. Deputy Mayor Mark Neal pinned Lieutenant Zultanski's badge on him and joined the Board in congratulating him. APPROVE PROMOTION TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT IN SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT — AMY BENNETT In a letter to the Board, Police Chief Ronald Teachman requested that Sergeant Amy Bennett 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 Bennett was appointed to the South Bend Police Department on January 9, 1995. Division Chief Steve Smith stated Sergeant Bennett was assigned to the Patrol Division on the afternoon shift after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. She quickly became a Field Training Officer for the Patrol Division. After approximately five (5) years in Patrol, Lt. Bennett was promoted to the Investigative Division as an Investigator with the S.T.O.P. Unit (Now known as the Special Victim's Unit). She investigated hundreds of cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. This position allowed her to work closely with the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office, the Juvenile Justice Center, Child Protective Services, the C.A.S.I.E. Center and many other agencies. In 2001, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division as a supervisor of the midnight shift. In 2004, Lt. Bennett returned to the Special Victim's Unit as an Investigator. During her career, Lt. Bennett served in special units 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: Y REGULAR MEETING PART I OFFENSES MURDER RAPE ROBBERY AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BURGLARY RESIDENT BURGLARY NON RESIDENT LARCENY MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT ARSONS GRAND TOTAL FIRE DEPARTMENT APPROVE AND ENTER FINDINGS OF FACT — TIMOTHY GREENLEE On May 9, 2014, the Board of Safety conducted a hearing of disciplinary action brought to the Board by Fire Chief Stephen Cox, requesting that Firefighter Timothy Greenlee be dismissed from his position with the City of South Bend Fire Department effective May 21, 2014. Ms. Vasquez stated the Board is now presenting the Findings of Fact for approval. Upon a motion by Mr. Miller, seconded by Mr. Jones and carried, the Findings of Fact were approved and the Chief s request that Firefighter Greenlee be terminated was approved. FILING OF MONTHLY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS REPORT — APRIL 2014 Fire Chief Stephen Cox submitted to the Board the monthly report for April 2014 compiled by the Prevention/Inspection Bureau of the Fire Department. Ms. Vasquez stated if there were no objections, the Board would accept the report for filing as presented. A summary is as follows: APRIL MAY 21, 2014 2013 36 APRIL APRIL STRUCTURE FIRES YEAR TO DATE 2013 2014 CHANGE 2013 2014 CHANGE 0 2 + 2 2 7 + 5 6 8 + 2 15 33 + 18 41 13 - 28 96 69 27 18 21 + 3 42 68 + 26 84 73 - 11 317 214 - 103 14 29 + 15 57 65 + 8 254 272 + 18 812 811 1 27 31 + 4 95 88 7 2 2 0 7 4 3 446 451 + 5 1443 1359 84 APPROVE AND ENTER FINDINGS OF FACT — TIMOTHY GREENLEE On May 9, 2014, the Board of Safety conducted a hearing of disciplinary action brought to the Board by Fire Chief Stephen Cox, requesting that Firefighter Timothy Greenlee be dismissed from his position with the City of South Bend Fire Department effective May 21, 2014. Ms. Vasquez stated the Board is now presenting the Findings of Fact for approval. Upon a motion by Mr. Miller, seconded by Mr. Jones and carried, the Findings of Fact were approved and the Chief s request that Firefighter Greenlee be terminated was approved. FILING OF MONTHLY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS REPORT — APRIL 2014 Fire Chief Stephen Cox submitted to the Board the monthly report for April 2014 compiled by the Prevention/Inspection Bureau of the Fire Department. Ms. Vasquez stated if there were no objections, the Board would accept the report for filing as presented. A summary is as follows: APRIL APRIL 2013 2014 STRUCTURE FIRES Property Damage -- Buildings & Contents (Estimates) $97,300.00 1 $76,251.00 INSPECTIONS (Fire Prevention/1 ns ection Bureau) 293 Inspections 301 Total Inspections (91 Re-Inspections) (106 Re-Inspections) INVESTIGATIONS (Police /Fire Arson Bureau) 15 12 Investigations Investigations 2 4 Incendiary Arson 4 Accidental 0 Natural 4 Undetermined PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Mr. Theodore Robert introduced himself and stated he has several matters to address with the Board. He stated after speaking with several officers, he is questioning whether the method of promotion was done properly for the three Lieutenant promotions. He explained only one (1) promotion notice was put out, but three (3) were promoted. He questioned whether it was a fair, competitive process allowing everyone an opportunity to bid. He added all of the Sergeant positions were put out for notice. He noted the Police Department promises equal opportunity for advancement. The second issue, he stated, is regarding the second shift assignments. He noted based on statistics, this is the busiest shift. He stated he spoke to Lieutenant Wright from the second shift, and he has three (3) detectives assigned to his shift for investigations. Mr. Robert stated the first shift has eighteen (18) to twenty (20). He questioned if the second shift is set up for failure with inadequate resources to do their job. Thirdly, Mr. Robert stated, he sent a letter to the Attorney General's Office and submitted it to the Board members to show them that there are some things going on with the Mayor's office that the law department is covering up for the Mayor. He noted he was speaking of Mayor Buttigieg regarding covering up of misconduct. REGULAR MEETING MAY 221 2014 37 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, upon a motion by Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Jones and carried, the meeting adjourned at 10 :02 a.m. BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY ,dell L-L aura A. Vasquez, President C ddie - iller, Mem Jo ollins, Member n Luther Taylor, Daniel Jones �Glember ATTFST: I! %mss j')i�� nda M. Martin, C1erCc