Police Commission Meeting Minutes 2006

The January 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on January 9, 2006 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 were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. This meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPOINTMENTS

Appointments – President – Commissioner Hejl motioned to appoint William Dodaro as President of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2006. With a second by Commissioner Long, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

Appointments – Vice-President – Commissioner Dodaro motioned to appoint Ronald Vale as Vice-President of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2006. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

Appointments – Secretary – Commissioner Farris motioned to appoint Rose Hejl as Secretary of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2006. With a second by Commissioner Long, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

Appointments – Recording Secretary – Commissioner Vale motioned to appoint Joan Kolodziej as Recording Secretary of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John for the Year 2006. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the December 12, 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 December 2005. Chief Frego stated that from December 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 18,188 duty miles and responded to 320 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 13 adult arrests with a total of 16 charges, and 0 juvenile arrests with a total of 0 charges. There were 103 traffic citations issued along with 59 written warnings and 0 parking violations. The grand total of citations issued during the month of December 2005 is 162 citations. Also during the month of December, vehicle thefts totaled $0.00, and all other thefts totaled $3,219.00. The total value of recovered property was $374.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 16 traffic citations and 39 written warnings for a total of 55 citations being issued on the grants during the month of December 2005. The investigation of these violations resulted in 7 adult arrests with 10 charges being filed and 1 juvenile arrest with 3 charges being filed on the grants for the month of December 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 advised the St. John Fire Department has moved into the new Public Works facility, which will be there headquarters temporarily. The demolition of the fire station is scheduled for within the month, and construction of the new public safety facility is scheduled to begin April 1, 2006. The Police Department will remain in its current facility as the new public safety facility is being built. A completion date of May 2007 is anticipated.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Chief Frego advised the Commission the current Eligibility List for Hire of Patrol Officers expires March 2006. He suggested discussion be held in the near future regarding the initiation of the procedures to create a new eligibility list.

Commissioner Dodaro requested that in the future, Chief Frego have either his secretary or the Patrol Commander notify the Police Commission when an officer has been nominated and is being considered for an award. Chief Frego stated he would like this noted in the minutes and that in the future, he would make sure the Commission is notified of such events.

NEW BUSINESS

Chief Frego advised that the Annual Tow Meeting should be held at the next regular meeting. The recording secretary was directed to notify the current tow providers of this meeting.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego thanked the Commission for its support and cooperation through the Year 2005. He stated the he felt they all should be pleased and happy regarding the items that were accomplished during the year (i.e., hired two additional officers, the Spillman records management program has been installed and is up and running within the Department, the lap tops were acquired and are currently being installed in the officers’ cars, the plans for the new public safety building are moving forward, etc.). Chief Frego stated he felt that the year ahead was going to be a good year, and there will be a lot to celebrate in the Year 2007.

ANY AND ALL

Chief Frego thanked Mr. James Curran, of 8780 Patterson Street who was present in the audience, for his assistance in being a witness to a recent incident of public indecency that occurred at 9:00 A.M. in the Walgreens’ parking lot.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, February 13, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on February 13, 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 Farris 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 February 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on February 13, 2006 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 and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson were not in attendance that this meeting. Further, tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the January 9, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

ANNUAL TOW MEETING

Commissioner Dodaro opened the annual tow meeting. All tow firms had representation in the audience. When asked, the tow firms were in agreement that everything is going good, and there were no major issues to be addressed. Mr. Frank Kammer, of Stan’s Towing and Recovery Service, stated he did have one issue concerning officer safety that he would like to address; that being a shared unit number between Stan’s, the St. John Police Department, and Bi-Town Animal Control. Mr. Kammer explained that Stan’s identifies themselves over the radio as Truck 52, while one of St. John’s reserve officers is Unit 52, and Bi-Town Animal Control uses “Truck 52” to identify herself. Mr. Kammer advised that Stan’s is suggesting that someone change their unit number and further, he stated Stan’s would be willing to change their number. Some discussion ensued. Mr. Kammer agreed to contact Chief Frego on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, to determine a new number for Stan’s.

Commissioner Dodaro confirmed with Emerald Towing that they did, in fact, have the proper equipment to tow the larger trucks. Mr. Scott Bourrell, of Emerald Towing, advised he brought with him tonight the titles for both of his trucks. Mr. Bourrell advised one of the trucks is currently being refurbished, and it should be back on the road in 2-3 weeks. Commissioner Dodaro reviewed the titles and insurance paperwork that were presented by Mr. Bourrell. The tow firms were thanked for attending tonight’s meeting.

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

Commissioner Dodaro read a letter from Mr. Chip Lukasik, of Stan’s Towing and Recovery Service, addressed to Chief Fred Frego. Said letter was dated February 3, 2006, and advised of a check being forwarded for dog food for K-9 Ork. Further, Mr. Lukasik stated he would not be in attendance at the Annual Tow Meeting, but that Mr. Frank Kammer would be representing Stan’s Towing instead. Mr. Lukasik commented that everything is okay, and he felt the St. John Police Department is doing an excellent job under Chief Frego’s leadership.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for January 2006. Chief Frego stated that from January 1, 2006 through January 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 19,441 duty miles and responded to 385 incidents. The investigation of these incidents resulted in 21 adult arrests with a total of 30 charges, and 3 juvenile arrests with a total of 4 charges. There were 326 traffic citations issued along with 119 written warnings. The grand total of citations issued during the month of January 2006 is 445 citations. Also during the month of January, vehicle thefts totaled $24,200.00, and all other thefts totaled $10,892.00. The total value of recovered property was $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 42 traffic citations and 80 written warnings for a total of 122 citations being issued on the grants during the month of January 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 5 adult arrests with 13 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of January 2006.

Chief Frego advised that normally the Year End Report is available at this time, but with the change over to Spillman during the Year 2005, and trying to combine data from two reporting systems, it is taking a little longer to prepare the report. In response to Commissioner Dodaro’s question, Chief Frego advised that everyone appears to be happy with the Spillman system and that it is a much better system than the IPTM Records Management Program the Department had been using. Commissioner Dodaro advised there are a few departments in Illinois that are now going to Spillman as well. Chief Frego said eventually it hoped that we will be able to share data with the Illinois departments. Some discussion ensued.

Chief Frego advised the Department recently signed a contract for eight (8) “air cards” for the laptop computers that are going in the squad cars. The mounts have been installed in all the cars, and the laptop computers are in the station. The air cards will allow the officers to access Spillman from their squad cars and will allow them to do their reports in Spillman while in their squads. IDACS is currently in the process of being switched over from our station to County. Once this is complete, the officers will be able to run driver license inquiries and vehicle registration inquiries from their MDTs.

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 the old fire station has been torn down. The bid packs for the new facility will be out within the week. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 2, 2006. If everything goes as planned, construction should start April 1, 2006 on the new Public Safety Facility. The Town Hall is moving out of its current facility on March 1, 2006 and will be temporarily housed in the new Public Works Facility located on Hack Street. Some discussion was held regarding the location of the next Police Commission meeting as the current Town Hall will be under construction. Chief Frego stated there have been several meetings held recently to finalize the plans for the new facility.

HUMAN RESOURCES

In response to Commissioner Dodaro’s question, Chief Frego stated he does not currently have plans to hire an additional officer. Commissioner Dodaro commented that the current Eligibility List is due to expire soon and if the Commission knew when the Chief plans to hire an additional officer, then they would make the necessary arrangements to begin the process of creating a new list so that the list would be available when needed. Chief Frego stated that the Department’s budget is not going to allow for an additional officer for some time, especially with the construction of the new public safety building. Chief Frego stated that he did not anticipate hiring until the later part of 2006, and possibly not until sometime in 2007. Commissioner Dodaro stated the Commission would design an application, advertise for applicants, and then hand-out applications prior to the orientation so that they will have an idea of how many applicants will be at the orientation. Commissioner Dodaro also stated he felt they should discuss charging for the application. Some discussion ensued.

NEW BUSINESS

Revised G.O. 6.01 – Required Dispatcher’s Uniforms & Equipment Issued by Department -

Chief Frego advised General Order 6.01 has been amended due to a change in shirts for the dispatchers. The current shirts worn by dispatchers are very difficult to obtain, so they will now be wearing shirts same as the officer’s shirts. Also, the shirts will no longer have an embroidered badge but instead, a regular badge that has been ordered by the Department. Further, dispatchers will now be allowed to wear the BDU style pant, but this would be their option and at their own expense. The new shirts will be purchased by the Department, as this was a change being implemented by the Department.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego had no comments to make at this time.

ANY AND ALL

There were no comments received under this topic.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, March 13, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on March 13, 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 Farris 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 March 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on March 13, 2006 at 7:00 P.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Due to the renovation of the Town Hall, tonight’s meeting was held in the Police Department’s Training Room, and there was no audio recording made. 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. Commissioners Robert Long and Ronald Vale were not present at tonight’s meeting. Further, tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the February 13, 2006 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” presented at tonight’s meeting.

2005 YEAR END REPORT

The Police Commission reviewed the 2005 Year End Report and stated it was an excellent report.

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for February 2006. Chief Frego stated that from February 1, 2006 through February 28, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department responded to 318 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 21 adult arrests with 30 charges being filed and 9 juvenile arrests with 10 charges being filed. There were 359 traffic citations issued along with 140 written warnings for a total of 499 citations being issued during the month of February 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of February, vehicle thefts totaled $38,500.00, and all other thefts totaled $20,448.00. The total value of recovered property was $20,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 63 traffic citations and 61 written warnings for a total of 124 citations being issued on the grants during the month of February 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 6 adult arrests with 9 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of February 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

With the current demolition of the surrounding sections of the old facility, Chief Frego stated the police station now has a foul, musty odor. Commercial air cleaning machines have been ordered and will be installed within the next day or two. The building is also experiencing new leaks in the roof. Regarding the new safety building, bid openings are scheduled for this Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 7:00 P.M. Approximately 80-85 sets of plans were taken out and expected to be bid upon. Some discussion ensued.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Commissioner Dodaro advised the Final Register of Police Officer Candidates expires on March 30, 2006. Chief Frego stated with all the projects that are currently in progress, he felt the Department would not be able to hire any additional officers until sometime in the Year 2007. Chief Frego stated he would like to begin the process of creating a new Final Register of Police Officer Candidates later in the year, with the possibility of accepting applications starting in August or September.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business.”

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised the Commission that the laptop computers have all been installed in the squad cars, and they operating on the Spillman Mobile program. Two (2) officers are IDACS certified and can run driver license inquiries (10-27) and vehicle registration inquiries (10-28) from their laptops. Some discussion ensued.

ANY AND ALL

There were no comments 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 10, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on April 10, 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 Farris 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

A Special Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on Saturday, March 25, 2006 at 8:30 A.M., as advertised, pursuant to law. Due to the renovation of the Town Hall, this meeting was held in the Police Department’s Training Room, and there was no audio recording made. 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 able to attend due to a work commitment. Further, this meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

NEW BUSINESS

Personnel Matter –

Commissioner Dodaro made a motion to reinstate Officer Richard K. Kouder to the rank of Lieutenant as per Resolution 060316A, which had been approved by the Town Council at their regular meeting held on Thursday, March 16, 2006. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

Approve and Adopt New / Revised Job Descriptions (Service Division Commander, Patrol Division Commander, and Lieutenant) –

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and adopt the Job Descriptions presented by Chief Frego for the positions of Service Division Commander, Patrol Division Commander, and Lieutenant. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

General Order 14.08 – Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) –

Commissioner Vale made a motion to approve and adopt new General Order 14.08 – Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) as presented. With a second by Commissioner Long, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

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 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on April 10, 2006 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 were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the March 13, 2006 Regular Meeting and the March 25, 2006 Special Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for March 2006. Chief Frego stated that from March 1, 2006 through March 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department responded to 396 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 25 adult arrests with 42 charges being filed and 4 juvenile arrests with 4 charges being filed. There were 361 traffic citations issued along with 100 written warnings for a total of 461 citations being issued during the month of March 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of March, vehicle thefts totaled $2,500.00, and all other thefts totaled $11,234.00. The total value of recovered property was $2,500.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 21 traffic citations and 36 written warnings for a total of 57 citations being issued on the grants during the month of March 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 8 adult arrests with 13 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of March 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised site the bids have been awarded for the new facility and construction should begin within the next couple of weeks.

HUMAN RESOURCES

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

NEW BUSINESS

Revised General Order 23.01 – Promotion Policy – Chief Frego presented revised General Order 23.01- Promotion Policy for the Commission's approval and adoption. After some discussion, Commissioner Long made a motion to approve and adopt revised General Order 23.01 as presented with the following changes:

• Page 2 of 7, Number 7., the Local Service Requirements for the position of Lieutenant will read as follows: One (1) year in grade as Sergeant with the St. John Police Department and sixty (60) hours of formal training in supervision.


• Page 5 of 7, Item F, Number 2. regarding points for military service shall be amended to read as follows: "Points will also be given for military service which totals two (2) years of active duty and Honorable Discharge."

With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously.

Revised St. John Police Department Organization Chart -

Commissioner Long made a motion to approve and adopt the revised St. John Police Department Organization Chart as presented. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously.

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego had no comments.

ANY AND ALL

There were no comments 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 8, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on May 8, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all 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 June 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on June 20, 2006 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 were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Commissioners Donald Farris and Robert Long were not in attendance. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the April 10, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for May 2006. Chief Frego stated that from May 1, 2006 through May 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 22,399 miles and responded to 420 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 26 adult arrests with 32 charges being filed and 2 juvenile arrests with 2 charges being filed. There were 272 traffic citations issued along with 68 written warnings for a total of 340 461 citations being issued during the month of May 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of May, vehicle thefts totaled $15,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $5,109.00. The total value of recovered property was $15,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 121 traffic citations and 161 written warnings for a total of 282 citations being issued on the grants during the month of May 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 10 adult arrests with 17 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of May 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised site work is still being worked on. The foundation appears to be about 90% complete. Cement work (the installation of forms) and infrastructure type work is underway. Chief Frego stated he spoke with the construction manager today, and he advised they are on schedule.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Chief Frego advised two (2) officers of the St. John Police Department; namely Corporal Dale Poston and Corporal Jay Dahlin, graduated from Northwestern’s Staff and Command School on June 9, 2006.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no matters of “New Business.”

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised that the four (4) new squad cars have arrived. The new squads are Dodge Chargers with one of them being an unmarked unit and the remaining three being marked units. The marked units have been stenciled, and it is anticipated that one of them will be on the road in the next 3-4 days. Chief Frego stated the officers that are being assigned to the marked units (Officers Brett Sidenbender, Nicholas Stamate and Michael Moffitt) have looked at the vehicles, and they like them. New equipment has been ordered for the new squad cars. Earlier today, the Department received from Federal Signal a free new LED light bar and smart siren, along with several other small LED lights. The light bar is a new product, and Federal would like the Department to try it out and provide them with feedback. The light bar is valued at $2000.00. Some discussion ensued. The new LED light and smart siren will be installed on Officer Moffitt’s squad car (Number 17).

ANY AND ALL

Town Councilman Pearson stated the new acquisition of police vehicles are VERY PROFESSIONAL looking, and he compliments the Chief on purchasing vehicles that are “state of the art” looking. Some discussion ensued.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, July 10, 2006. There will be no Work Study Session held on July 10, so the Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all 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 July 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on July 10, 2006 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 Ronald Vale. Also present were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Commissioners Rose Hejl and Robert Long were not in attendance. Tonight’s 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 June 20, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for June 2006. Chief Frego stated that from June 1, 2006 through June 30, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 20,193 miles and responded to 461 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 23 adult arrests with 34 charges being filed and 2 juvenile arrests with 2 charges being filed. There were 240 traffic citations issued along with 69 written warnings for a total of 309 citations being issued during the month of June 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of June, vehicle thefts totaled $175,200.00, and all other thefts totaled $34,227.00. The total value of recovered property was $6,700.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 170 traffic citations and 175 written warnings for a total of 345 citations being issued on the grants during the month of June 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 21 adult arrests with 38 charges being filed and 2 juvenile arrests with 2 charges being filed on the grants for the month of June 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised that overall, the construction of the new building is on schedule. Currently, there is a slight delay due to having to wait for the steel and Flexicore to arrive so that the walls can be braced before backfilling. After backfilling, the brick layers will begin their work.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Creation of New Eligibility List -

Chief Frego requested authorization to begin the process for hiring, inclusive of scheduling a test date, for the purpose of creating an Eligibility List for Full-Time Police Officer. Commissioner Dodaro requested a copy of the current Police Officer Application Packet for review and possible modification. Commissioner Dodaro also stated that within the next month, he would meet with Chief Frego to determine dates for advertising for applicants, release of the Application Packet, Orientation, testing, etc. However, Commissioner Dodaro stated prior to beginning this process, the matter will need to be reviewed by legal counsel. Some discussion ensued regarding the following topics: dates, fees for the application packet, the current test, and whether to hire a firm to do the testing. After some discussion, the Commission agreed to set the price of the Application Packet at $25.00. However, the price is subject to change.

Commissioner Farris stated he congratulates Corporal Jay Dahlin and Corporal Dale Poston on their recent graduation from Staff and Command School. Chief Frego advised the Department now has seven (7) officers who have completed the Staff and Command School.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no matters of “New Business.”

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised one of the newly detailed Dodge Chargers is on the road. Commissioner Farris stated he felt the new squad cars “look sharp.” Chief Frego stated he has received a lot of positive comments on the new squad cars.

ANY AND ALL

Reserve Officer Joseph O’Leary addressed the Commission regarding recent changes to Indiana State Law wherein the eligible hiring age of a police officer has been extended to age 40. However, it is believed the Pension Board has not adapted the newly allowed age and therefore, a new hire aged 40 years would not be eligible for a pension through the State. Officer O’Leary inquired as to whether the Commission would abide by State Law regarding the possibility of hiring a new officer with an age of 40, but with the provision of some type of pension (annuity) for this officer. Some discussion ensued, and it was determined that this matter would require some investigation, as well as direction from legal counsel. Chief Frego suggested a Work Study Session be held before the start of the August Regular Meeting. Commissioner Dodaro advised the Commission will determine at a later date whether to hold a Work Study Session.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, August 14, 2006. There will be a Work Study Session only if deemed necessary. The Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Farris 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 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on August 14, 2006 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 were Police Chief Fred Frego and Town Council Liaison Charles Pearson. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Farris made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the July 10, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for July 2006. Chief Frego stated that from July 1, 2006 through July 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 23,411 miles and responded to 496 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 35 adult arrests with 55 charges being filed and 2 juvenile arrests with 2 charges being filed. There were 252 traffic citations issued along with 64 written warnings for a total of 316 citations being issued during the month of July 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of July, vehicle thefts totaled $22,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $7,285.00. The total value of recovered property was $2,200.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 119 traffic citations and 86 written warnings for a total of 205 citations being issued on the grants during the month of July 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 5 adult arrests with 9 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of July 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Flexicore Company had been on strike, but the strike has come to an end. However, they are now dealing with a backlog of work. The brick layer cannot proceed too much further until the cement floor is installed. Some of the block work has begun. Hopefully, within the next 10-14 days, the Flexicore will be delivered and installed. The contractors will then be able to proceed at a much quicker pace.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Creation of New Eligibility List –

Commissioner Dodaro advised he met with Chief Frego, and they have created an Agenda for the Police Officer Hiring Process. Said Agenda is as follows:

AGENDA FOR 2006 POLICE OFFICER HIRING PROCESS
DATE
EVENT

08-15-06 thru 08-31-06
Application Packets Available at the St. John Clerk’s Office
Availability: Monday thru Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Cost per Application Packet: $30.00

09-15-06
Completed Application Packets are due back to the St. John PD by no later than 5:00 P.M.

09-23-06
Mandatory Orientation Program
Time: 10:00 A.M. Promptly – No Late Admittance
Where: St. John Town Hall, 10955 W. 93rd Avenue, St. John

09-30-06
Agility Test
Time: 9:00 A.M.
Where: To Be Announced

10-07-06
Written Test
Time: 9:00 A.M.
Where: Lake Central High School, 8400 Wicker Avenue, St. John

Chief Frego stated the written test will be contracted through a firm called “Standard and Associates” out of Chicago, Illinois. Commissioner Dodaro advised this outside agency will be supplying the test for a fee of $12.50 per test. Chief Frego stated the Commission needs to determine who will be correcting/grading this test; either the Commission or Standard and Associates. Further, Chief Frego advised the test is endorsed by the Indiana Chiefs of Police Association. Several Indiana agencies have used this test in the past. The test bases the probability of the candidate, who is selected and takes this test, successfully completing the Police Academy. The test really has nothing to do with police work and laws. The test is mainly about math, reading comprehension, recognition, and grammar. Commissioner Dodaro stated the Commission will administer this test and will be monitoring the testing of the applicants. The Commission will determine at a later date as to whether or not they will grade the test. Further, Commissioner Dodaro stated the Agility Test will be handled by the Commission. Some discussion ensued. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to accept the dates as presented on the above listed agenda for the Police Officer Hiring Process and to authorize the contracting of Standard and Associates for the written test. With a second by Commissioner Vale, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

NEW BUSINESS

New General Order 6.08 – Severe Weather Warning System –

Chief Frego advised that approximately a month and a half ago, the Town installed a Severe Weather Warning System, inclusive of sirens, in three (3) locations around Town; namely, the Fire Department’s Training Center, Heartland Park and in Schillton Hills. This Warning System is to be activated by the Police Department. The Police Department was given the task of determining when to activate the Severe Weather Warning System. Chief Frego stated he worked with Fire Chief Fred Willman in researching other policies regarding Severe Weather Warning Systems, and they put together the best of what they found, along with some of their own ideas, and created General Order 6.08. Chief Frego stated this policy may need some fine tuning in the future but for now, this is the policy the Police Department will be using. Some discussion ensued. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and adopt General Order 6.08 – Severe Weather Warning System as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (5-0).

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he would like to commend the officers on doing a good job at the Police Department. Chief Frego advised the officers have written between 600-700 tickets over the number of tickets that were written in the same timeframe last year. The officers are doing an excellent job at enforcing traffic, which needs to be enforced. Additionally, there was a DUI Roadblock conducted on Saturday, August 5, 2006 in the K-Mart parking lot. Approximately 10 arrests were made through this roadblock. The entire operation went very smoothly, and the officers did a very good job.

Chief Frego advised the Department currently has two (2) officers off work due to injuries. Corporal T. Gardenhire was injured while on duty. Officer J. Turturillo was injured off duty. Their prognoses are yet to be determined. One or both may need to have surgery. This has caused a need for “creative scheduling” in order to keep everything going. Lt. R. Kouder has really pitched in to help cover open shifts by pulling 12-hour shifts. Chief Frego stated the department really needs to get an additional officer hired and on the road as soon as possible. The earliest date that the Department could send an officer to the Police Academy is March 26, 2007. Chief Frego stated he will be reserving a spot in the March 26th class.

ANY AND ALL

Commissioner Hejl commented that she was able to observe the DUI Roadblock that was held at the end of June, 2006. She stated she would like to commend all the officers involved as she thought it was very professional, and everyone worked together very well.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, September 18, 2006. There will be a Work Study Session only if deemed necessary. The Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

PRESENTATION OF PLAQUES HONORING 30 YEARS OF SERVICE

Commissioner Vale stated the Commission would like everybody associated with the St. John Police Department, which includes the officers, dispatchers, secretary, and reserve officers, to know how very proud the Commission is of each and every one. They do not often get the opportunity to tell the members this, and it may seem at times that nobody cares, but this is quite the contrary. Tonight, the Commission would like to show their gratitude and appreciation to two (2) officers who have served the Town of St. John with pride and professionalism over an extended period of time, which happens to be 30 years. The two (2) officers being honored this evening are Captain Bernard J. Johnsen and Lieutenant Richard Kouder. Plaques were then presented to both officers recognizing grateful appreciation of 30 years of loyal, dedicated service to the St. John Police Department. Cake and coffee were available after the meeting adjourned.

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 September 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on September 18, 2006 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. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the August 14, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for August 2006. Chief Frego stated that from August 1, 2006 through August 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 21,009 miles and responded to 439 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 31 adult arrests with 51 charges being filed and 1 juvenile arrest with 1 charge being filed. There were 270 traffic citations issued along with 79 written warnings for a total of 349 citations being issued during the month of August 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of August, vehicle thefts totaled $12,000.00, and all other thefts totaled $14,016.00. The total value of recovered property was $4,185.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 70 traffic citations and 16 written warnings for a total of 86 citations being issued on the grants during the month of August 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 11 adult arrests with 15 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of August 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the Flexicore flooring was delivered earlier today. The brick layer is ready to go, and it is anticipated the building will be under roof before inclement weather arrives.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Creation of New Eligibility List – Receipt of Police Officer Applications –

Commissioner Dodaro stated the Commission, at an Executive Session held prior to the start of tonight’s meeting, reviewed all application packets that had been turned in for the position of Patrol Officer. Commissioner Dodaro advised there were a total of 34 complete application packets received. Those 34 applicants are eligible to attend the Mandatory Orientation Program scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 10:00 A.M. Letters regarding the Agility Test, scheduled for September 30, 2006, at the Midwest Ice and Training Center will be distributed at the Orientation. The Written Test is scheduled for Saturday, October 7, 2006, at 9:00 A.M. at the Lake Central High School (Freshmen Center).

Chief Frego advised the Commission that Officer James Turturillo has returned to work from Sick Leave. Corporal Timothy Gardenhire recently had surgery on his neck due to his work related injury, and he is expected to be off work until the end of October, 2006. Corporal Richard Conaway has given notice that he will be retiring after 29 years of service. A retirement luncheon in his honor will be held at Noon on Thursday, September 28, 2006. Congratulations and best wishes to Corporal Conaway!

NEW BUSINESS

There were no items of “New Business.”

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego stated he had no additional comments to make at tonight’s meeting.

ANY AND ALL

There were no items of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, October 9, 2006. There will be a Work Study Session only if deemed necessary. The Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all Executive Sessions will be advertised pursuant to law.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Farris 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 November 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on November 13, 2006 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. Commissioners Robert Long and Ronald Vale were not present. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the September 18, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (3-0). There was no October 9, 2006 meeting due to a lack of a quorum.

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for October 2006. Chief Frego stated that from October 1, 2006 through October 31, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 18,607 miles and responded to 425 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 28 adult arrests with 43 charges being filed and 2 juvenile arrests with 6 charges being filed. There were 267 traffic citations issued along with 56 written warnings for a total of 323 citations being issued during the month of October 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of October, vehicle thefts totaled $34,900.00, and all other thefts totaled $12,530.00. The total value of recovered property was $29,000.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 35 traffic citations and 76 written warnings for a total of 111 citations being issued on the grants during the month of October 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 11 adult arrests with 14 charges being filed and 0 juvenile arrests with 0 charges being filed on the grants for the month of October 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the building is under roof, and appears to be on-schedule. It is anticipated the building will be closed up by Thanksgiving, and they will be running temporary heat into it. The brick layer needs approximately 12 more days of work before his work is completed. The heating/duct work is in, the electrical is in and all the cement is in.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Creation of New Eligibility List – Receipt of Police Officer Applications –

Commissioner Dodaro stated the Commission has 23 applicants who are still in contention. Interviews are scheduled from 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 18, 2006 and from 7:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. on Monday, November 20, 2006. The preliminary list will be posted shortly thereafter. Chief Frego advised that two (2) applicants never called to confirm their scheduled interview appointment, even though they had been requested to do so in correspondence sent to them. Some discussion ensued.

NEW BUSINESS

Revised General Orders 9.02 – Alarms – Bank –

Commissioner Bill Dodaro advised this general order had been updated to include information regarding the procedure for bank alarms currently practiced by the St. John Police Department. Commissioner Hejl made a motion to approved revised General Order 9.02 – Alarms – Bank as presented. With a motion by Commissioner Farris, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

Revised General Order 11.01 – Care & Use of Department Owned Vehicles –

Chief Frego advised the Commission General Order 11.01 had been revised on April 12, 2004, but due to that period of time being a transition period, the Police Commission never took formal action to approve the revision. The general order was revised to allow officers who reside out of town to take their squad cars home as long as they lived within 15 miles of the Town’s limit. Commissioner Farris questioned the terminology of “marked commission” in this general order, and after some discussion, it was determined that the word “marked commission” would be replaced by the word “marked vehicle.” Commissioner Farris made a motion to accept revised General Order 11.01 – Care & Use of Department Owned Vehicles as presented with the exception of replacing the word “commission” with the word “vehicle” throughout the general order for uniformity. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (3-0).

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego advised the Commission that the St. John Driver Education Program (SJ-DEP) will be discontinued as of December 31, 2006 due to a ruling by the State Board of Accounts. The Town attorney was consulted regarding this ruling, and it was learned that the Town attorney concurs with the State Board of Accounts. The traffic school generated a large amount of revenue for the Town in the past, and it is hoped that it can be reinstituted at a later date. The Town Council will be looking into this matter in an effort to determine a legal way to continue the SJ-DEP through the use of a Town Judge. Currently, there are only two (2) more days SJ-DEP classes will be held; those are December 2 and December 16, 2006. The officers have been advised to discontinue offering the SJ-DEP class to Ordinance 511 violators as of midnight on November 12, 2006. Some discussion ensued.

ANY AND ALL

There were no items of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, January 8, 2007. There will be a Work Study Session only if deemed necessary. The Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all 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 December 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of St. John was held on December 11, 2006 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. Tonight’s meeting did not require legal representation from the law firm of Austgen, Kuiper and Associates, PC.

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MONTH’S MINUTES

Commissioner Farris made a motion to approve and accept the minutes from the November 13, 2006 Regular Meeting as written. With a second by Commissioner Hejl, the motion carried unanimously (4-0).

CORRESPONDENCE / COMMUNICATIONS

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

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Chief Frego read the monthly report for November 2006. Chief Frego stated that from November 1, 2006 through November 30, 2006, the members of the St. John Police Department logged 18,190 miles and responded to 401 incidents. The investigation of these incidents led to 21 adult arrests with 30 charges being filed and 3 juvenile arrests with 4 charges being filed. There were 199 traffic citations issued along with 50 written warnings for a total of 249 citations being issued during the month of November 2006 by the officers of the St. John Police Department. Also during the month of November, vehicle thefts totaled $0.00, and all other thefts totaled $3,242.00. The total value of recovered property was $6,450.00. Regarding grant activity, Chief Frego stated that the officers of the St. John Police Department, while working the OPO / BCC / OSS / DUI Taskforce Grants, issued 55 traffic citations and 122 written warnings for a total of 177 citations being issued on the grants during the month of November 2006. The investigation of these violations resulted in 10 adult arrests with 14 charges being filed and 1 juvenile arrest with 1 charge being filed on the grants for the month of November 2006.

OLD BUSINESS

There were no matters of “Old Business.”

REPORTS

Budget –

There was nothing new to report under this topic.

Physical Plant –

Chief Frego advised the majority of the windows have been installed, and the building will soon be totally closed in. Everything appears to be on schedule.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Creation of New Eligibility List –

Police Officer Hiring Process Update – Commissioner Dodaro advised the New Eligibility List has been created and posted. The new list will be in effect until November 29, 2008. Three (3) applicants have been tendered conditional offers of employment and have accepted said offers. The offers are contingent upon the applicants successfully completing the physical and psychological evaluations. Two of the new hires, namely Shane Adams and Dave Oszust, will need to attend the Police Academy. The first class they can be enrolled in begins March 30, 2007. Luke Schreiber, currently a Lowell Police Officer, will be sworn in, if all goes well, on or about the first regular meeting of the St. John Town Council scheduled for January 18, 2007.

NEW BUSINESS

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

CHIEF’S COMMENTS

Chief Frego thanked the Commission for their time and effort that they extended in the development of the New Eligibility List. Councilman Pearson seconded the compliment and stated they did a good job.

ANY AND ALL

There were no items of “Any and All.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no comments received from the public.

MEETING SCHEDULE

The next Regular Meeting will be on Monday, January 8, 2007. There will be a Work Study Session only if deemed necessary. The Regular Public Meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. Any and all 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