Police Commission Meeting Minutes 2005

The January 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on January 10, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present was Police Chief Fred Frego. Representing the Town Council at tonight’s meeting was Councilman Charles Pearson. Representing the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker and Phillips, P.C. at tonight’s meeting was Attorney Timothy Kuiper. Commissioner Robert Long was not present at tonight’s meeting.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

President – Commissioner Hejl nominated Commissioner William Dodaro as President of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2005. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously.

Vice President – Commissioner Farris nominated Commissioner Ronald Vale as the Vice-President of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2005. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously.

Secretary – Commissioner Dodaro nominated Commissioner Rose Hejl as Secretary of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2005. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously.

Recording Secretary – Commissioner Hejl made a motion to retain Ms. Joan Kolodziej as Recording Secretary for the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2005. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously.

Legal Counsel – Commissioner Hejl made a motion to retain the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker, and Phillips PC as legal counsel for the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2005. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Vale made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the December 13, 2004 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of “Correspondence or Communications” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for December 2004. Chief Frego stated that from December 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 16,206 duty miles and responded to 346 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 16 adult arrests with a total of 33 charges, and 0 juvenile arrests with a total of 0 charges. There were 45 traffic citations issued along with 61 written warnings and 39 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of December 2004 is 145 citations. Vehicle thefts totaled $0.00 during the month of December 2004. All other thefts totaled $14,914.00. Chief Frego stated that the majority of these monies were related to a theft from a house under construction (i.e., power equipment, tools, etc.). Total value of recovered property was $1,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 17 traffic citations and 82 written warnings for a total of 99 citations being issued on the grants during the month of December 2004. The investigation of these violations resulted in 7 adult arrests with 13 charges being filed and 3 juvenile arrests with 4 charges being filed on the grants for the month of December 2004.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

REPORTS

Budget –

Chief Frego stated the budget for the Year 2005 has been approved and is in place.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated a meeting was held today, and another one is scheduled for tomorrow, for reviewing, discussing and revising the preliminary plans for the new facility.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officer Update –

Commissioner Dodaro advised the two (2) new officers were sworn in on December 28, 2004, and they will be placed on the schedule as of January 1, 2005. Chief Frego stated that since the two (2) new officers were formerly Reserve Officers for the Town of St. John, they would be working the streets until approximately January 18, 2005. The officers will then be attending a two (2) week satellite training course held locally. Both officers will report at the Academy on January 31, 2005 to begin their formal training.

Reserve Officers –

Chief Frego advised that a couple of applications have been received for Reserve Officers, but not many. Chief Frego stated that possibly the Department will have to advertise in the newspapers to obtain more applicants.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he had no comments.

ANY AND ALL

There were no items brought forward for discussion under this topic.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. James Curran, of 8780 Patterson Street, stated that his neighborhood lost power around Thanksgiving for approximately 30 hours. The power loss started on a Wednesday night and was not restored until the early hours on Friday morning. Mr. Curran suggested that since the Police Department is now hiring new policeman all the time, that the officers could go door-to-door during situations like a power outage to check on residents to see if everybody was okay, and whether help or assistance was needed. Possibly, the officers could even transport the residents to a warming center. Mr. Curran stated during that 30-hour power outage, he personally walked through his neighborhood and knocked on all the doors to see if anybody needed anything. Mr. Curran stated there are a lot of elderly people in his neighborhood, and he suggested that the Police Department should check on them. Chief Frego asked Mr. Curran if he had contacted the Police Department during the power outage and suggest at that time, not a month and a half later, that the Police check on the residents in that location. Mr. Curran questioned why he should have to make that call. Commissioner Dodaro explained that the Police Department does not always know of all the power outages. Some discussion ensued. Mr. Curran was commended by the entire Commission for his efforts during the power outage, and advised that his suggestion was well taken, duly noted, and definitely appreciated.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, February 14, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on February 14, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The February 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on February 8, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present was Police Chief Fred Frego. Commissioners Donald Farris and Robert Long were not present at tonight’s meeting. Attorney Timothy Kuiper, from the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker and Phillips, was also not present at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the January 10, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of “Correspondence or Communications” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for January 2005. Chief Frego stated that from January 1, 2005 through January 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,729 duty miles and responded to 364 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 3 adult arrests with a total of 5 charges, and 2 juvenile arrests with a total of 2 charges. There were 138 traffic citations issued along with 69 written warnings and 19 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of January 2005 is 226 citations. Vehicle thefts totaled $6,500.00 during the month of January 2005. All other thefts totaled $11,101.00. Total value of recovered property was $20.00. In response to Commissioner Dodaro's question, Chief Frego stated that the losses reported during the month of January 2005 were mainly due to thefts from construction sites. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego_stated thatthe:officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 34 traffic citations and 118 written warnings for a total of 152 citations being issued on the grants during the month of January 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 6 adult arrests with 12 charges being filed and O juvenile arrests with O charges being filed on the grants for the month of January 2005. Chief Frego advised that the grant report has been modified slightly so that the individual charges are now listed.

2004-YEAR END REPORT

Chief Frego stated that the report contains some notable items, as listed in his letter. There were declines in several major areas, which was the national trend as well. Chief Frego noted that the incidents indicate a substantial increase over 2003. While it is true that incidents did rise in 2004, Chief Frego stated the number is higher than it actually should be as the former chief of police was piling on the numbers (i.e., an officer taking his squad for a car wash was classified as an incident, a traffic stop was considered an incident, a request for a 10-28 was an incident, etc.). The former chief was attempting to create a "human CAD system." However, this practice was discontinued in eariy 2004. Some discussion ensued. Chief Frego stated the number of tickets issued increased in 2004; however, an additional officer was on the street, as well as Officer Andersen was on the street for the entire year. The number of duty miles driven was up approximately by 30,000 miles. The expense for the fuel consumed was up by approximately $10,000 over 2003. Chief Frego stated that in 2003, the numbers were based on human reporting wherein 2004, the majority of the numbers are metered through the new system. Chief Frego stated it is his opinion that there will be a better comparison at the end of Year 2005 than this year, and it looks to him like something was going on with the gas consumption in the past. Some discussion ensued. The Commissioners commended Chief Frego for an excellent report, and complimented all who worked on compiling this report. Chief Frego stated the report indicates the officers are doing a good job. The officers had more arrests and more incidents in 2004. Crime has gone down in Town, and Chief Frego stated he believes this is a result of the "zone" system that he implemented with patrol officers in 2004.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated he has a viewed a copy of the preliminary plans, and it is his opinion that the floor plans are excellent and very impressive. Chief Frego advised there have been several meetings scheduled with the architect to fine tune the structure. The Police Department will have a lot of room, and there will be a large area that will be finished at a later date, which will provide future offices, storage, etc., that the department will need later down the road. Commissioner Dodaro asked Chief Frego to have the blueprints available for viewing at the Commission's regular meeting in March. Chief Frego stated that it is hoped to break ground on the new police station by the end of 2005.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officer Update –

Chief Frego stated the two (2) new officers, Officer N. Stamate and Officer M. Moffitt, are currently attending on-site training in Michigan City, Indiana. On Monday, February 14, 2005, they begin their training at the Academy in Plainfield, Indiana. Commissioner Hejl stated she knew the addition of two (2) officers would be beneficial during the week as there would be more officers on duty, but she was wondering if their presence would be beneficial on the weekends and evenings as well. Chief Frego stated that one officer each would be assigned to the two existing crews, which would strengthen the shifts. Chief Frego advised that just one extra officer really does make a world of difference as far as granting personal time, compensatory time, vacation time, etc., and it would assist the Department with having a minimum of two (2) officers working at all times. Commissioner Hejl was advised the schedule has been made to include the new officers. However, the two new officers are on 8-hour days while they are at the academy. Upon their return from the academy, they will be in a very short FTO Program. Some discussion ensued.

Commissioner Dodaro inquired as to how many applications for Reserve Police Officer have been received to date. Chief Frego stated the response has been minimai with maybe oniy 6 or so applications having been received. Some discussion ensued. Chief Frego advised that advertising in the newspapers was considered until it was learned how expensive that would be. Applications are being accepted through February 21, 2005.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of "New Business" brought before the Commission at tonight's meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised that he attended a 2-day conference in Indianapolis, with Rocky Killion of Lake Central High School. The Justice Department was responsible for providing this conference. Chief Frego stated the conference was excellent and very informative. The conference was about "Missing and Exploited Children, and it focused on the School Resource Officer. Chief Frego stated that Rocky Killion does realize the importance of having an officer in the school. Chief Frego advised that the people involved with this conference were at Columbine a week before it happened. They advised that statistics show an ideal school population is 1200 students. Lake Central High School has approximately 2700-2800, which, in their words, is too large of a school to control, especially without an officer inside. Chief Frego stated he has voiced his opinion to the powers that be, and he feels Schererville and Dyer should be involved with supporting an officer in school, since a good portion of the school's population comes from their towns. Chief Frego stated he hopes the school corporation can find a way to re-implement this program. The Justice Department does provide a 4-day training program that both the chief of police and the school resource officer attend. Some discussion ensued.

Chief Frego advised he met with Mr. Tim Moore, owner of a surveillance camera service, and he is in the process of proposing a surveillance system at Lake Central High School. This system would include the installation of monitors at the St. John Police Department so that the Police Department could monitor the school should a situation be in progress at that location. Mr. Moore has just completed a similar installation at the Merrillville High School and the Merrillville Police Department. There would be basically no cost, or very little cost, to the St. John Police Department for this surveillance system. Some discussion ensued.

Chief Frego commented he attended the Indiana Chiefs of Police conference last week. He stated he found the conference very interesting. There were approximately 200 chiefs in attendance, with only a few Lake County chiefs being present.

Commissioner Vale asked if there was anything new to report on the vests for the officers. Commissioner Vale expressed concern that the grant providing monies for the vests would expire soon. Chief Frego explained that the material in the vests they were considering was found to be faulty. Further, Chief Frego explained that this matter has been put "on the back burner" as they have been busy with the new squad cars. Chief Frego stated the new squad cars have been striped, the radios are installed, and they are just waiting for the lights. Chief Frego advised that the lights are LEDs, similar to Squad 14's lights. Chief Frego advised that the original LED lights ordered from Federal Signal cost approximately $2500 each. While he was at the conference in Indianapolis, he met a representative from Federal Signal who showed him a different LED light that was almost identical to the lights on order, but they cost $800 less. Chief Frego stated he cancelled the original order, and they are now waiting for the arrival of the less expensive lights. Some discussion ensued.

ANY AND ALL

Ms. Joan Kolodziej invited the Commission to a surprise luncheon for Commander Frank Chapranda that was going to be held on Thursday, February 10, 2005, at 11:30 A.M. in the Police Department's Training Room. The luncheon was to celebrate Commander Chapranda's 30th anniversary with the St. John Police Department.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, March 14, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on March 14, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Long, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The March 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on March 14, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present was Police Chief Fred Frego. Commissioner Robert Long arrived shortly after the start of the meeting. Attorney Timothy Kuiper, from the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker and Phillips, was also not present at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the February 8, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Dodaro read a “Job Wanted” Application, which was a school project completed by Miss Frankie Turturillo, Officer James Turturillo’s daughter. In her application, Frankie states she “wants a job as a Police Officer. I like to save people. I feel important when I save people. My dad is a police officer so I want to be one. I want to catch people. I want to be a police officer because I will feel important when I would put on my uniform. I would like to put handcuffs on people. I would love my job!” Frankie Turturillo is approximately 7 years old.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for February 2005. Chief Frego stated that from February 1, 2005 through February 28, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 17,591 duty miles and responded to 325 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 9 adult arrests with a total of 16 charges, and 1 juvenile arrest with a total of 2 charges. There were 177 traffic citations issued along with 77 written warnings and 1 parking violation. The grand total of citations issued during the month of February 2005 is 255 citations. Vehicle thefts totaled $35,000.00 during the month of February 2005. All other thefts totaled $42,703.00. Total value of recovered property was $37,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 115 traffic citations and 152 written warnings for a total of 267 citations being issued on the grants during the month of February 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 10 adult arrests with 19 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of February 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business” brought before the Commission at tonight’s meeting.

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated he has received a set of drawings regarding the new facility. The plan is to begin with the Public Works portion of this project. It is anticipated that ground breaking for the new Police Station will be in September of 2005, with completion in September of 2006. Chief Frego advised they are currently researching ranges and related equipment. Some discussion ensued.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officer Update –

Chief Frego stated he spent a week at the Academy, in Plainfield, Indiana, while attending the Chief’s School. He has now completed the final phase of his certification as a Chief of Police. During this time, he had occasion to see Officers N. Stamate and M. Moffitt. They are doing well. Chief Frego said the officers are in their 7th week of the academy. Regarding his certification, Chief Frego advised is certified, and the process is complete.

NEW BUSINESS

Revised General Order 14.05 – Mobile Audio / Video Recording Equipment, and New General Order 14.07 – On Station Audio / Video Recording Equipment –

Chief Frego stated the purpose of the revision to G.O. 14.05 was to reduce the 180 days of retention to 30 days of retention. This revision was done based on advice received from the Prosecutor’s Office. Chief Frego stated the Police Station is equipped with recording equipment on station, but there was nothing in place that mandated that the Department record situations such as officers taking reports from juveniles, females, etc., in an effort to avoid any allegations of inappropriate behavior. Some discussion ensued. Commissioner Long suggested that Chief Frego speak with the lawyers reference how to prepare the Department for any litigation as it relates to the Department’s records retention program. More discussion ensued. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to accept revised General Order 14.05 and the new General Order 14.07 as written. With a motion by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego reminded the Commission that Officer Richard Kouder is off on Workmen’s Compensation due to an injury sustained to his knee. Officer Kouder is currently waiting his doctor’s diagnosis and recommendation regarding what procedures may be necessary.

Chief Frego advised the Police Department is in the process of purchasing a K-9 unit for the Police Department from Landheim. Officer Steve Flores will be the Department’s new K-9 Officer.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters received under this topic.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, April 11, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on April 11, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Long, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The April 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on April 11, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Chuck Pearson. Commissioner Robert Long and Attorney Timothy Kuiper, from the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker and Phillips, were not present at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Vale made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the March 14, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of “Correspondence / Communication” presented at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for March 2005. Chief Frego stated that from March 1, 2005 through March 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 21,149 duty miles and responded to 318 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 19 adult arrests with a total of 31 charges, and 10 juvenile arrests with a total of 10 charges. There were 266 traffic citations issued along with 94 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of March 2005 is 360 citations. Also during the month of February, vehicle thefts totaled $3,500.00, and all other thefts totaled $15,191.00. The total value of recovered property was $0.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 41 traffic citations and 185 written warnings for a total of 226 citations being issued on the grants during the month of March 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 10 adult arrests with 20 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of March 2005.

ANNUAL TOW MEETING

Annual Tow Meeting – The following tow providers were present: Dave’s Towing, Emerald Towing, Kubiak’s Service and St. John Auto. There was no representation present from Stan’s Body Shop and Towing. Commissioner Dodaro queried as to whether the tow representatives had any questions, comments, complaints, concerns or requests that they would like to make. All representatives indicated that they had none. Commissioner Dodaro then asked Emerald Towing if they do, in fact, have their own tow truck for semi-tractors/trailers. The representative for Emerald Towing responded yes, they do, and he stated he was aware of a call wherein they were not able to respond with the proper tow truck, but that was due to the fact their semi tow truck had broke down, and he had to borrow another firm’s tow truck. Emerald did advise they were able to get that particular vehicle removed from the roadway, so that it was not a traffic hazard, prior to the arrival of the borrowed tow truck. Chief Frego advised the tow firms should they experience any kind of problems, they should feel free to give him a call. Chief Frego stated he felt the providers are doing an excellent job, and their responses have been timely. Chief Frego also stated he felt the tow rotations were working out well. All tow providers advised they currently have no problems with the tow rotation.

OLD BUSINESS

Vest Update –

Chief Frego advised that Corporal David Demeter has been researching different types of body armor. Further, the grant for the vest purchase is good until the Year 2007, and there is approximately $7,400 left in that grant. (Originally, there was $9,400 awarded on this grant.) Chief Frego stated that every officer who was in need of a vest now has a vest. The two (2) new officers have also been supplied with vests. Regarding future purchases, Chief Frego stated that the Department will spend a maximum of $500 per vest. These purchases will be made only when needed, as some of the officers have vests that have not reached the end of their warranty dates.

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated there was a pre-bid meeting held earlier today at 2:00 P.M., which mainly focused on the Public Works portion of the new complex (Phase I). When Phase I is completed, then they will begin on Phase II, which will involve demolition around the current station. Approximately 12-15 general contractors were present to receive the guidelines for the bids. Future meetings regarding the new complex are scheduled for April 21, 2005 and April 28, 2005. Chief Frego stated a lot of site preparation work is currently being conducted.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officer Update –

Chief Frego stated the officers have five (5) more weeks of school remaining. They are both doing fine. Graduation is scheduled for the middle of May, 2005.

New Reserve Office Applicants – Orientation Update –

Approximately 20 applicants were present for the Orientation Program. Testing of these applicants will begin on Saturday, April 16, 2005. Chief Frego advised the Department intends to hire five (5) new Reserve Officers.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought before the Commission this evening.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he had no comments to make at this time.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters received under this topic.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, May 9, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on May 9, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The May 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on May 9, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Chuck Pearson. Representing the Law Firm of Austgen, Decker and Phillips PC was Attorney David Austgen. Commissioner Robert Long was out of town on business and was not present at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Farris made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the April 11, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of “Correspondence / Communication” presented at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for April 2005. Chief Frego stated that from April 1, 2005 through April 30, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,224 duty miles and responded to 298 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 19 adult arrests with a total of 26 charges, and 3 juvenile arrests with a total of 3 charges. There were 186 traffic citations issued along with 51 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of April 2005 is 237 citations. Also during the month of April, vehicle thefts totaled $0.00, and all other thefts totaled $984.00. The total value of recovered property was $246.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 26 traffic citations and 144 written warnings for a total of 170 citations being issued on the grants during the month of April 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 7 adult arrests with 19 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of April 2005. Chief Frego advised that this month’s report is the first report to be generated since we have transferred over to the Spillman System.

OLD BUSINESS

Commissioner Dodaro advised he was in receipt of revised General Order 19.01 – Police Dog. Chief Frego stated that the only change made to this General Order is Item D, Item 1-e, which now states, “K-9 officer will make an announcement that the K-9 unit is on scene and will be entering the building PRIOR to entry.” Chief Frego stated the old order did not contain this item, and the intent of such a procedure is to alert the suspect that a K-9 unit is about to come in and give him a chance to surrender. Commissioner Farris made a motion to adopt revised General Order 19.01 – Police Dog as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously. Just as a point of record, Attorney Austgen advised that the Commission does not have to approve the Chief’s report nor general orders.

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated the bids came in for the new facility and they were extremely high. The Town Council is in the process of re-bidding the project. Attorney Austgen advised that this delay would only set back the project 30 – 45 days.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officer Update –

Officer N. Stamate will graduate from the Academy on Thursday, May 12, 2005. Chief Frego stated he would be attending that graduation.

Reserve Office Applicants Update – Testing and Oral Interviews –

Chief Frego advised that out of approximately 24-25 applicants, the oral interview process was down to 12 applicants. The interviews were conducted on May 3 and May 5, 2005. Chief Frego advised that the Department is in the process of forming a list from the results of the testing and interviews.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought before the Commission this evening.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised that Officer S. Flores will complete his K-9 training later this week, and next week he will be involved in certifications.

Chief Frego advised that the Department has purchased two (2) bicycles for the new Bike Patrol Unit. Officer E. Andersen and Officer J. Turturillo will be attending Bike Patrol Training classes later this month. The officers will carry their bikes on the back of their squad cars. It is intended that during their shifts, they will park their squads and then ride the bikes through subdivisions, parks, etc., for approximately 3-4 hours per shift. The Bike Patrol will also be available during the St. John Festival, the Farmers Market, and other summer activities.

ANY AND ALL

Town Councilman C. Pearson advised that at the last Town Council Meeting, residents from the 9300 block of W. Oak Ridge Drive were present to complain about the parking on W. Oak Ridge Drive by individuals who are at Prairie West Park. The majority of persons parked along W. Oak Ridge Drive were there to fish at the pond, and many of them were from out of Town. Further, Councilman Pearson stated it appears that similar parking problems are occurring throughout the Town at all of the Town’s ponds. Councilman Pearson said he has also received complaints of alcohol consumption and public urination by fishermen. Councilman Pearson stated he has personally observed that parking problem and felt that the fishermen were creating a traffic hazard along side streets in Town such as W. Oak Ridge Drive and Louis Drive. Councilman Pearson stated he is requesting Chief Frego to:

1. Conduct a study of the traffic pattern at these locations on the weekends;
2. Identify folks from out of Town who are fishing, and advise the of the Town’s ordinance regarding fishing in Town ponds; and
3. Find a solution for this problem (i.e., posting “No Parking” signs).

Chief Frego stated he was at that particular Town Council meeting, and he recalls that resident volunteering to take a survey of her neighbors to see if they were in favor of posting “No Parking” signs along the east side of W. Oak Ridge Drive. As of today, Chief Frego stated the resident has not provided the results of that survey. Commissioner Hejl felt a solution needed to be found mainly for child safety reasons and suggested that the Town Council could consider posted hours for fishing. Commissioner Dodaro stated he felt this matter that could be addressed by the Police Department’s Crime Prevention Officer. Much discussion ensued.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, June 13, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on June 13, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Vale made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The June 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on June 13, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Chuck Pearson. Commissioner Robert Long was not present at tonight’s meeting. Representation from the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC was not required at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Farris made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the May 9, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Dodaro read a letter addressed to the St. John Police Commission from Police Chief Fred A. Frego. Said letter was dated June 10, 2005, and was regarding a Request to Establish Corporal’s Eligibility List. Much discussion ensued, after which the Commission scheduled a Work Study Session for Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at 7:00 P.M. in the St. John Town Hall for the purpose of beginning the process to create a Corporal’s Eligibility List. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to begin the proceedings to establish an eligibility list for the Corporal’s position. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for May 2005. Chief Frego stated that from May 1, 2005 through May 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,912 duty miles and responded to 308 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 14 adult arrests with a total of 24 charges, and 6 juvenile arrests with a total of 11 charges. There were 230 traffic citations issued along with 57 written warnings and 5 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of May 2005 is 292 citations. Also during the month of May, vehicle thefts totaled $45,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $1,250.00. The total value of recovered property was $45,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 45 traffic citations and 48 written warnings for a total of 93 citations being issued on the grants during the month of May 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 0 adult arrests with 0 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of May 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Town received no bids for the re-bidding of the project. The Town Council has decided the Town will be its own general contractor.

HUMAN RESOURCES

New Officers Update –

Chief Frego advised that Officers N. Stamate and M. Moffitt are doing well. Officer Moffitt will be returning to the Academy in July.

Reserve Officers Update –

Chief Frego advised the background checks have just been completed on the top 6 out of 12 applicants that have been selected to become Reserve Officers. One applicant’s background investigation did not turn out well, and another applicant just recently was hired full-time by the Hammond Police Department. It is still intended to hire six (6) additional Reserve Officers. Corporal D. Poston is coordinating the training for the new Reserve Officers.

Bike Patrol Update –

Chief Frego advised that the Department is currently waiting to get the bikes completely equipped (the night lights and the sirens did not come in yet). The officers have completed their training. Whether the night lights are in or not, one of the officers will be out on his bike, along with the ATVs, for the “Movie in the Park” scheduled for dusk on June 18, 2005.

NEW BUSINESS

Commissioner Vale stated some of the officers are in need of new vests. Chief Frego advised he was unaware of this situation. Commissioner Vale stated he has spoken to four or five officers who have informed him that their vests are outdated. Chief Frego questioned how he was supposed to take care of the vest situation if he is unaware that officers are in need. Commissioner Vale refused to provide names of the officers who have approached him, but stated he would inform those officers to bring this matter directly to the Chief’s attention. Commissioner Vale went on to state that these officers had gone to Corporal D. Demeter, when he was researching the vests, regarding a need for new vests, and they were told they would be able to get new vests. However, supposedly now there is not enough money left to purchase vests. Commissioner Vale asked if this was true. Chief Frego stated the same amount of money is in the fund as there was last year. The fund has not been touched. Chief Frego stated this matter was addressed in front of the Police Commission last year, wherein it was determined that $500 per officer would be available out of the grant for new vests, and the Town would pay the rest up to $750 per officer for the purchase of new vests. Some discussion ensued. Commissioner Dodaro stated that those officers who are in need of new vests should either come before the Commission themselves, or they should put their request in writing to the Chief. More discussion ensued.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he had no comments.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters brought before the Commission of “Any and All” at this time.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Councilman Pearson stated residents of Louis Estates have stated to him they would like to compliment the Police Department on its efforts enforcing the Town’s Ordinance regarding fishing in the Town’s ponds. They truly appreciate, and were happy to see, the officers asking non-residents who were fishing to leave.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, July 11, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on July 11, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. A Study Session has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The July 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on July 11, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, Robert Long, and Ronald Vale. Also present was Police Chief Fred Frego. Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson was not present. Representation from the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC was not required at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the June 13, 2005 Regular Meeting and the June 30, 2005 Executive Session, as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Chief Frego advised Reserve Officer Gary Ginaven recently became unemployed. Officer Ginaven will be moving to North Dakota and will be taking a temporary position working with his brother-in-law. Officer Ginaven has requested, through the Chief of Police, a leave of absence until the end of October 2005. Chief Frego advised he has authored a letter granting approval of Officer Ginaven’s request. Some discussion ensued.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for June 2005. Chief Frego stated that from June 1, 2005 through June 30, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,578 duty miles and responded to 406 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 19 adult arrests with a total of 37 charges, and 3 juvenile arrests with a total of 3 charges. There were 205 traffic citations issued along with 79 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of June 2005 is 284 citations. Also during the month of June, vehicle thefts totaled $6,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $7,510.00. The total value of recovered property was $6,160.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 15 traffic citations and 62 written warnings for a total of 77 citations being issued on the grants during the month of June 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 5 adult arrests with 10 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of June 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report on this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Town is re-bidding the project and has hired a Construction Manager, who will be responsible for getting the contactors lined up once the bids are accepted and approved. The re-bids are due back by July 28, 2005.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Reserve Officers Update –

Chief Frego advised the background checks have been completed on the top 6 out of 12 applicants and of those applicants, 4 have been selected. Those four applicants have completed their 40-hour pre-basic course, and three of them were at the Range earlier today completing their firearms training.

Bike Patrol Update –

Chief Frego advised the Bike Patrol was on scene the night of the Fireworks Display. However, due to vacations, there is a slight scheduling problem with the Bike Patrol. It is not recommended to have just one officer out on a bike after dark.

Establish Corporal’s Eligibility List –

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to post the Corporal’s Eligibility Test for August 6, 2005 at 1:00 P.M. per General Order No. 23.01. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought forth at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he had no comments.

ANY AND ALL

Commissioner Farris commented The Bike Patrol looked sharp, as well as the ATV units, and they both did a great job at the Fireworks Display on July 2, 2005. Regarding Traffic Control on the night of the Fireworks Display, Commissioner Dodaro stated he felt it could be improved next year given a little bit of time and some planning. Chief Frego stated the good thing was that there were no accidents. Everybody exited in a safe manner. Some discussion ensued. Commissioner Long suggested that a debriefing session be held with the officers after all big events, wherein they could speak freely regarding how the event progressed, how it was handled, and offer suggestions for improvement.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There was no “Public Comment” received at tonight’s meeting.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, August 8, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on August 8, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. An Executive Session will be held on Monday, August 8, 2005, at 6:30 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The August 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on August 8, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Vale called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Ronald Vale. Also present was Police Chief Fred Frego. Commissioner William Dodaro and Commissioner Robert Long, as well as Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson, were not present. Representation from the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC was not required at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the July 11, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Vale read correspondence dated July 12, 2005 and addressed to Police Chief Fred Frego from Attorney Michael L. Muenich. Said letter commended Officer Jay Dahlin for being instrumental in the investigating and ultimately securing the arrest of suspect(s), and the return of Mr. Muenich’s vehicle which was stolen from his residence in St. John on the morning of June 23, 2005.

Commissioner Vale read a second letter dated July 12, 2005 and addressed to Police Chief Fred Frego from Attorney Michael L. Muenich. Said letter commented Corporal Richard Conaway, for also being instrumental in investigating and ultimately securing the arrest of suspect(s) and the return of Mr. Muenich’s vehicle which was stolen from his residence in St. John on the morning of June 23, 2005.

Mr. Muenich requested a copy of the above-mentioned correspondence be provided to each officer, as well as a copy be placed in their personnel file. Chief Frego advised that copies of Mr. Muenich’s correspondence have been placed in the appropriate officers’ files, and he would provide each officer with a copy as well.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for July 2005. Chief Frego stated that from July 1, 2005 through July 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 22,123 duty miles and responded to 441 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 29 adult arrests with a total of 40 charges, and 3 juvenile arrests with a total of 3 charges. There were 196 traffic citations issued along with 61 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of July 2005 is 257 citations. Also during the month of July, vehicle thefts totaled $0.00, and all other thefts totaled $16,930.00. The total value of recovered property was $750.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 20 traffic citations and 85 written warnings for a total of 105 citations being issued on the grants during the month of July 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 8 adult arrests with 15 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of July 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

Chief Frego stated the budget for Year 2006 is in a preliminary phase at this time.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Town is getting ready to start the Public Works portion of this project.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Reserve Officers Update –

Chief Frego advised the four (4) new reserve officers have completed their 40-hour pre-basic course, as well as their training in the Radio Room. All reserve officers have been issued uniforms and the required equipment. Each reserve has been assigned to a FTO and has begun their field training.

Corporal’s Test Update –

Commissioner Vale advised the written test portion of this process has been completed. The next step is the Oral Interviews.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought forth at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego thanked the Commission for conducting the Corporal’s written examination on Saturday, August 6, 2005.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

There was no “Public Comment” received at tonight’s meeting.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, September 12, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on September 12, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Executive Sessions will be held on Monday, August 15, 2005, at 6:00 P.M., and Wednesday, August 24, 2005 at 6:15 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The September 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on September 12, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl, and Robert Long. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Commissioner Ronald Vale was not present due to his mother taking ill. Representation from the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC was not required at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the August 8, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Dodaro read a letter dated August 25, 2005 and addressed to the St. John Police Commission. Said letter was regarding the stop light at US 41 and W. 93rd Avenue and the need for a left turn signal for eastbound/westbound traffic on W. 93rd Avenue. Said letter was authored by Mr. Carrol E. Austin. Commissioner Dodaro advised this information was referred to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Chief Frego stated that this project has been ongoing for over a year and a half, and it continuously gets delayed for whatever reason(s).

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for August 2005. Chief Frego stated that from August 1, 2005 through August 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 24,943 duty miles and responded to 377 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 23 adult arrests with a total of 43 charges, and 0 juvenile arrests with a total of 0 charges. There were 211 traffic citations issued along with 63 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of August 2005 is 273 citations. Also during the month of August, vehicle thefts totaled $15,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $3,892.00. The total value of recovered property was $0.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 12 traffic citations and 36 written warnings for a total of 48 citations being issued on the grants during the month of August 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 1 adult arrest with 3 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of August 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

Chief Frego stated the preliminary budget for Year 2006 has been worked up but has hot yet been adopted.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Public Works building is doing fine. Once that is done, the Town Hall will be started followed by the Police and Fire portion.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Corporal’s Test Update –

Commissioner Dodaro advised the Commission has completed a preliminary list. Said list ill be posted soon, probably within the next two weeks.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought forth at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he would like to publicly acknowledge and thank the efforts of the members of the St. John Police Department for their time and efforts during the Town’s recent Festival. Chief Frego advised the Festival was a huge success, and the police presence was obvious there. Chief Frego felt that due to the police presence, the entire Festival had zero incidents (no fights, no arguments, no thefts, etc.). Chief Frego stated he felt the men of the department need to be commended for a job well done. Councilman Chuck Pearson stated that having worked the Festival all four days, he received nothing but compliments about the Police Department, their presence, their demeanor and the lack of incidents. Councilman Pearson stated he would also like to thank the Reserve Officers who donated all their time and for the wonderful job that they did. Commissioner Farris stated he was in complete agreement with Chief Frego and Councilman Pearson in that the officers of the St. John Police Department did an outstanding job during the Festival. They all looked sharp and professional. Commissioner Dodaro stated he would like to “ditto” these comments.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. Adrian Bugariu, of 11747 W. 90th Avenue

, advised that he had requested public information from Chief Fred Frego on two different occasions and as of today, he has only received a stack of radio logs and not the other information that he had requested. After much discussion, it was determined that Mr. Bugariu did not utilize a Request for Public Information Form to obtain the desired information. Mr. Bugariu was advised that he could obtain the necessary form at the St. John Police Department and upon its completion and return to the Police Department, the information would be provided.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, October 10, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on October 10, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Long, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The October 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on October 10, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, and Rose Hejl. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Representing the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC was Attorney Timothy Kuiper. Commissioners Robert Long and Ronald Vale were not present at tonight’s meeting.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the September 12, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Dodaro read correspondence from Chief Fred Frego dated October 10, 2005. Said letter requested the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners submit the next eligible applicant on the Corporal’s Eligibility List (posted September 15, 2005 and in effect till September 14, 2007) for promotion. Commissioner Farris made a motion to approve Chief Frego’s request and submit the next eligible applicant on the Corporal’s Eligibility List for promotion. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (3-0). Commissioner Dodaro confirmed with Chief Frego that the applicant being submitted for promotion is Officer Jay Dahlin.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for September 2005. Chief Frego stated that from September 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,111 duty miles and responded to 340 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 13 adult arrests with a total of 18 charges, and 2 juvenile arrests with a total of 4 charges. There were 225 traffic citations issued along with 105 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of September 2005 is 330 citations. Also during the month of September, vehicle thefts totaled $24,300.00, and all other thefts totaled $10,322.00. The total value of recovered property was $7.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 57 traffic citations and 66 written warnings for a total of 123 citations being issued on the grants during the month of September 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 6 adult arrests with 13 charges being filed and 1 juvenile arrest with 1 charge being filed on the grants for the month of September 2005.

In response to Commissioner Farris’ question regarding an increase in criminal activity in Town, Chief Frego advised there have been several thefts from construction sites throughout Town.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego mentioned that the new Public Works facility is moving along well. Construction on the current Town Hall has begun as well. Chief Frego advised it appears the construction work is on schedule.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Corporal’s Promotion – Commissioner Dodaro stated that the Commission has approved the promotion of Officer Jay Dahlin to the position of Corporal, and the Commission will submit a letter of recommendation to the Town Council. This promotion will be pending the appropriation of the salary for this position.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought forth at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated approximately a month ago, and due to the escalating price of gasoline and the Police Department’s budget being depleted for the Year 2005, the Police Department temporarily halted off-duty driving of squad cars. Chief Frego stated the officers did not receive this directive very favorably, but they have been dealing with it. In doing so, and if Squad #5 had not been driven to Mississippi for Katrina Relief, the Department would show a reduction of approximately 5,000 miles in the month of September, which calculates to over a $1,000 savings in fuel costs for the month. Chief Frego stated he hopes to review this matter in January 2006, and he does not wish to take away the benefit of off-duty driving permanently. Commissioner Farris stated he feels the presence of the squad cars on the streets is a benefit to the Town, and he hopes that this is only a temporary situation. It was agreed it is a benefit to the Town only if the officer resides in Town. In reviewing the mileage report for September, Commissioner Dodaro stated he could see that Chief Frego’s mileage had dropped. In response to Commissioner Dodaro’s question, Chief Frego advised that the off-duty driving restriction was addressed to the patrolmen, but he felt that all officers should try to cut down their off-duty mileage. Chief Frego stated the Budget for Year 2006 contains a substantial increase for fuel, but if fuel costs continue to rise, even the increased amount will not be enough.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

Town Councilman Pearson stated he felt the Open House held on October 2, 2005 was absolutely fabulous. Councilman Pearson stated he would like to thank all the police officers and the firemen for their efforts. He felt it was probably one of the best Open Houses that the Department has had. Further, Officer S. Flores’ K-9 demonstration was tremendous.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, November 14, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on November 14, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The November 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on November 14, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Rose Hejl and Ronald Vale. Commissioner Robert Long arrived shortly after the start of the meeting. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Commissioner Donald Farris was not present at tonight’s meeting, and this meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Decker and Philips, PC. CORPORAL’S PROMOTION Commissioner Dodaro announced that Officer Jay Dahlin was being promoted to the rank of Corporal. Clerk-Treasurer Sherry Sury gave Officer Dahlin his oath. Corporal Jay Dahlin was then congratulated on his promotion. Chief Frego stated during his tenure with the St. John Police Department, he has found that Corporal Dahlin has always done what he has been asked to do. Further, Corporal Dahlin has been invaluable with the implementation of the Spillman System in the Department, and he always goes above and beyond the call of duty. Corporal Dahlin was an asset to the Department as a patrolman, and he is sure that Corporal Dahlin will continue to be an asset to the Department, as well as the Town of St. John. Corporal Dahlin thanked the Police Commission and Chief Frego for his promotion.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the October 10, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Long, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of Correspondence / Communications at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for October 2005. Chief Frego stated that from October 1, 2005 through October 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 21,141 duty miles and responded to 347 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 19 adult arrests with a total of 29 charges, and 3 juvenile arrests with a total of 3 charges. There were 192 traffic citations issued along with 39 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of October 2005 is 231 citations. Also during the month of October, vehicle thefts totaled $0.00, and all other thefts totaled $2,039.00. The total value of recovered property was $400.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 10 traffic citations and 34 written warnings for a total of 44 citations being issued on the grants during the month of October 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 3 adult arrests with 4 charges being filed and 3 juvenile arrests with 4 charges being filed on the grants for the month of October 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated that the new Public Works Facility is moving along well. Further, he anticipates the contractors will break ground on the new Police / Fire Facility in the spring of 2006.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Corporal’s Promotion –

This matter was handled at the start of tonight’s meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business” brought forth at tonight’s meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego again congratulated Corporal Jay Dahlin on his promotion. Chief Frego stated that Corporal Dahlin is one of many good men that the Police Department has in its ranks.

ANY AND ALL

There were no matters of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, December 12, 2005. There will be no Work Study Session held on December 12, 2005, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary

The December 2005 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on December 12, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Commissioner Dodaro called the meeting to order and then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with the following members of the Police Commission being present; namely, William Dodaro, Donald Farris, Rose Hejl and Ronald Vale. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Commissioner Robert Long was not present at tonight’s meeting, and this meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Vale made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the November 14, 2005 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

There were no items of Correspondence / Communications at tonight’s meeting.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for November 2005. Chief Frego stated that from November 1, 2005 through November 30, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 19,027 duty miles and responded to 344 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 28 adult arrests with a total of 38 charges, and 0 juvenile arrests with a total of 0 charges. There were 265 traffic citations issued along with 64 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of November 2005 is 329 citations. Also during the month of November, vehicle thefts totaled $17,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $25,968.00. The total value of recovered property was $17,200.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 64 traffic citations and 78 written warnings for a total of 142 citations being issued on the grants during the month of November 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 5 adult arrests with 7 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of November 2005.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego stated there is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, December 13, 2005, with the architect to discuss finalization of the plans for the new Police / Fire Facility. This meeting will allow for additional fine-tuning of the plans, as well as discussion on intricate issues such as the Radio Room.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Commissioner Dodaro advised the current Eligibility List for Hire of Patrol Officers is due to expire in March 2006. Therefore, as a Board, it will be necessary to begin the process to create a new eligibility list. This matter will be addressed at the start of 2006.

NEW BUSINESS

Revised General Order 14.02 –

Required Police Uniforms & Equipment Issued by Department – Chief Frego explained the revision to this general order included amending the uniform pants that the officers are wearing (from French blue to navy), as well as the white shirt requirement for patrol officers with the rank of sergeant or higher. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept revised General Order 14.02 as presented. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised the Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving realized that the high costs of fuel was hurting the budgets of the Towns who had officers working the grant. The Council decided to reimburse those departments for a portion of the fuel that has been used. The St. John Police Department received a check in the amount of $2,500.00 for reimbursement of fuel costs.

Commissioner Hejl questioned as to whether the officers are still not allowed to drive their squad cars off-duty. Chief Frego stated on January 1, 2006, the officers would be allowed to resume off-duty driving of their squad cars.

ANY AND ALL

Councilman Pearson stated he would like to thank all the police officers and reserve officers of the St. John Police Department for the excellent job they did on the night of the opening of “Christmas in the Park.” Their efforts on that cold and windy night were very much appreciated.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, January 9, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on January 9, 2006, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all other Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Hejl made a motion for adjournment. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the meeting was adjourned.

Town of St. John, Lake County
Indiana, Board of Metropolitan
Police Commissioners

______________________________
Rose Hejl, Secretary

ATTEST:

________________________________
Joan M. Kolodziej, Recording Secretary