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REGULAR MEETING September 10, 2018
<br /> where we can protect the citizens, protect the police officers when they're out on calls to protect
<br /> us, but we've got to get it right. We've got to have faith that our leaders are making sound
<br /> decisions. The family is going to grieve for a long time, but it will help the process if you get this
<br /> right.There should be nothing to hide.Please,please,when that decision comes down,don't divide
<br /> our City. Please don't tear our city up. I'm begging you.
<br /> Jesse Davis, PO Box 10205, South Bend, IN, stated, I was wondering if you guys could get some
<br /> input on traffic statistics, crashes, things of that nature on these streets that we've made all these
<br /> changes to. I get beat up on the internet because of comments that are made. We have an eleven
<br /> (11) year old boy who died on South Michigan Street. Our mayor came out and said they should
<br /> have been on a cross walk and if wasn't foggy, he wouldn't have been hit. That happened within
<br /> days of them changing the street from one (1)-way traffic. These kids were used to looking one(1)
<br /> direction before they ran across the street. They also had a crosswalk and a traffic light there prior
<br /> to that accident that was removed by our City officials. It was then replaced right away. Then we
<br /> have police officers traveling ninety (90)to ninety-five (95) miles per hour down a road that used
<br /> to be two (2) lanes, and now it's shrunk down to a single lane in each direction and there are bump
<br /> outs and so forth. There's literally less room for that officer or for an individual to maneuver and
<br /> try to avoid an accident. Anyone who wants to say Smart Streets has not contributed to any of
<br /> these things is dead wrong. We've got a young lady who lost her life, her young children are now
<br /> with her sister. We have a Prosecutor who sent it to a grand jury, it came back, and people aren't
<br /> happy with that result and now they're sending it to the Board of Public Safety. We've asked you
<br /> guys for our own board for years. We have zero (0) faith in that Public Board of Safety that's
<br /> appointed by our Mayor. We see what they've done in other cases where people were beat up by
<br /> cops. We don't have faith that they're going to make any better decision than that grand jury made.
<br /> Again,we want a board for the people that is compiled of people,not somebody who is handpicked
<br /> by the Mayor, who can oversee these things and see that this is a fair process. I hope they get this
<br /> one (1) right. If they don't, this community could be a mess.
<br /> Jason Banicki Critchlow, 3822 W. Ford Street, stated, On July 20'', this community suffered an
<br /> unmentionable tragedy involving a crash between Erica Flores and South Bend Police Officer
<br /> Gorny, which resulted in the death of Erica Flores. I don't need to rehash any of the facts of this
<br /> tragedy, but I will ask for justice for the family, and equal treatment under the law for our law
<br /> enforcement officers, the same as any other citizen would receive. While Indiana law allows for
<br /> the use of grand juries, it is indeed a very rare step to be used, especially when it is very clear that
<br /> South Bend Police Department policies and Indiana State Law was broken in this instance. I am
<br /> calling on the South Bend Common Council to draft and pass a resolution calling on our
<br /> Prosecuting Attorney Ken Cotter to step aside and turn this case and investigation over to a Special
<br /> Prosecutor in regards to this fatal crash.As any investigation into a police officer calls for complete
<br /> and total transparency, however, the Prosecutor chose to use a grand jury, where every piece of
<br /> evidence and testimony is sealed and kept from every citizen, and absolutely bypasses the
<br /> transparency that is required in a case like this. This move by our Prosecutor instead calls into
<br /> question his objectivity in this case and makes it impossible for the Flores family to perceive that
<br /> they've received the justice that they deserve. As someone who worked at the jail for many years,
<br /> I used to tell new people that just the appearance of impropriety is impropriety in itself.The minute
<br /> that this appears impartial, that our Prosecutor is favoring our police officers over our citizens, it
<br /> is time for him to step aside and let a Special Prosecutor handle that. I am calling on your guys to
<br /> use the political courage necessary to go after a Democrat in a Democratic city to say look, you
<br /> are doing a big thing badly. Step aside, let a Special Prosecutor handle it. That way there is no
<br /> saying hey,you were covering for your cops or somebody you knew,because a Special Prosecutor
<br /> won't have those ties. It's funny that we want to send a resolution to Washington, DC to Donald
<br /> Trump and Mike Pence. Let's send a message to our City that as a Council, we stand behind all of
<br /> our citizens and believe in equal justice for everybody. Pass a resolution calling for Ken Cotter to
<br /> step aside in this case.
<br /> Sue Kesim,4022 Kennedy Drive,stated,I am given time to speak,but I don't get to say something
<br /> good, because I have to address the issues. It seems negative, but I have time constraints. I want
<br /> to give a special shout out to the Finance Department. They did a beautiful job on the CAFR and
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