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REGULAR MEETING August 14, 2017
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<br /> four-hundred and forty-three (443) were female; five-hundred and twenty-five (525) were white,
<br /> li three-hundred and seventy-seven (377) were black, forty-five (45) were Hispanic, twenty (20
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<br /> were listed as "other,"while fourteen (14) were listed as "unknown;" one-hundred and sixty-
<br /> eight (168) fell into the age range of thirteen (13) to nineteen (19),three-hundred and eighteen
<br /> (3 18) fell into the age range of twenty (20) to twenty-nine (29), one-hundred and eighty (180)
<br /> fell into the age range of thirty (30) to thirty-nine (39), one-hundred and twenty-nine (129) fell
<br /> into the age range of forty (40)to forty-nine (49), one-hundred and eighty-six (186) fell into the
<br /> age range of fifty (50) and over. Ms. Green-Reeves stated, It is our main goal to take this data
<br /> and make informed decisions, moving forward. I truly believe that having the ordinance will help
<br /> us address the emergent needs in the community at this time.
<br /> Robert Smith, Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior Men's Club, 1226 Linden Avenue, South Bend,
<br /> IN, stated that young people are being preyed upon by sellers of synthetic drugs. Mr. Smith
<br /> explained that kids who take the drug come to the King Center in either a hyperactive state or a
<br /> "comatose-like" state and that they, as a result, cannot be placed in activities with the other kids.
<br /> Mr. Smith stated that this ordinance will be a powerful tool in stopping the sales of this drug to
<br /> minors, who do not understand the effects of this drug.
<br /> Councilmember Karen White thanked everyone who presented, as well as those who contributed
<br /> to the bill and intend to speak in favor of it. Councilmember White urged the Council to vote in
<br /> favor of the bill.
<br /> Councilmember Oliver Davis asked, To just clarify again: the strength of—somebody wants to
<br /> challenge and say, you know—when you enforce this rule, what would be the strength of the
<br /> legality regarding the strength of the ordinance?
<br /> Chief Ruszkowski responded, That would be something more for an attorney to weigh-in on,
<br /> however, this is a civil component as opposed to a criminal component. Obviously,the necessity
<br /> for having the criteria for one (1) over the other is a little bit less when it comes to civil,
<br /> however, I can tell you at the Police Department we will still operate on a minimum of
<br /> reasonable suspicion and emphatically on probable cause, or higher. So, that's what we'll do.
<br /> Even with that—take the same thing that we'd use for essentially the criminal component. So, if
<br /> the Fire Department, for example, were to be on a run and noticed something that didn't seem
<br /> right concerning the synthetics, they would notify us. That's a good faith belief that they believe
<br /> that this place is selling or distributing these items that are obviously harmful and dangerous to
<br /> our community, notify us, and we'll be able to intervene. Whether it's a permit, whether it's a
<br /> perimeter search or a search warrant. There is a draft form that we're all working on, especially
<br /> in the Council and committee—working on a promise to keep our community safe. There is no
<br /> title to it Synthetic Drug Community Protection Agreement: that's kind of lengthy and wordy.
<br /> Hopefully, with your expertise on the Council, you can come up with something a lot more
<br /> abbreviated than that that makes sense, but essentially what it is, is a bullet point promising that
<br /> you are not going to distribute this harmful stuff—that nobody really knows what's contained in
<br /> there—to our community, from ages thirteen (13) to fifty (5 0)plus. We're working on that, now.
<br /> That wouldn't probably fall right into the ordinance itself, but it's another measure of awareness
<br /> and education that we can use and hold people accountable to promise that they're not going to
<br /> do these things, and then we can take those other steps.
<br /> Councilmember Tim Scott stated, This falls under the Disorderly House ordinance where either
<br /> Code or Police—anybody who would see any type of violation to this could issue that kind of
<br /> ticket or violation—it would be investigated.
<br /> This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill,proponents and
<br /> opponents were given an opportunity to be heard.
<br /> Those from the public wishing to speak in favor of this bill:
<br /> Debra Walker, 639 Diamond Avenue, South Bend, IN,thanked Chief Ruszkowski for helping to
<br /> gather a group of people to work on this ordinance, and also thanked Councilmembers Karen
<br /> White and Tim Scott. Ms. Walker stated, I was present the day that those young men became ill
<br /> from that particular drug, and I feel that your support is very much needed.
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