Pfisterer's Town Hall Meeting Discusses Several Issues(posted June 17) Georgianna Orlich of the Marion County Prosecutor's Office is encouraging families to contact her about Computer Cop, a software program that allows parental monitoring to track their children's contacts to websites. It provides filters and can block certain sites. The program is free. Orlich was one of several speakers Marilyn Pfisterer of City County Councilor District 14 had at the June 16 Speedway Town Hall quarterly meeting. Orlich can be reached at 327-6429. Orlich also requested neighborhoods become involve in court watch. This is part of the community prosecution unit that encourages neighbors to attend court to tell the judge how a convicted criminal impacted their neighborhood. The purpose of the program is to help the judge administer the offender his due justice in sentencing. It can often mean tougher sentencing if the judge hears the direct affect the criminal activity had upon the neighborhood. Resident Brad Belles said he has trouble tracking court cases. He is particularly concerned about a recent arrest in his neighborhood but he is unable to monitor the case's progress whether charges have been filed. Orlich told Belles to contact her about the specifics and she would assist with the tracking. She noted the court system lacks uniformity with tracking cases because it is comprised of 20 different courts that work in degrees of independence. Pfisterer's number one concern is crime watch and prevention. She announced that Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Lori Demaree will be hosting self defense classes that are geared to help women. Pfisterer said the program would not refuse men from taking the class. Demaree is located at the southwest district office. The number is 327-6400. Pfisterer also fielded questions from the audience. Belles also inquired as to what happen to the state's Homeland Security funds and why they were not dedicated toward paying for the MECA upgrade instead of issuing a $45 million. Pfisterer noted that the state was in charge of dispersing the money and not the city. She explained that she could bring officials from the MECA to explain the radio system at the September 15 meeting. Eagledale Resident Jerry McQuinn was finally able to voice his complaints face to face with Assistant Deputy Director of Public Safety of Indianapolis Steve Talley and Animal Control Officer Sgt. Ray Harris. McQuinn told Talley that his neighborhood has aggressive dogs running loose and the animal control has been ineffective in dealing with this repetitive problem. He noted that one of his neighbors has an unaltered dog improperly tethered to a tree. The dog often becomes untied and roams in an aggressive maner throughout the neighborhood. Talley said the ordinance prohibits unaltered dogs to be tethered outdoors while an altered dog can be tethered outdoors and unmonitored from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. He said the city now has a zero tolerance policy and that a dog owner in violation would be cited and fined. McQuinn disagreed with the zero tolerance policy because he claims that animal control has been out eleven times for the same problem. He said he called about the dog running lose and animal control did not show up until the next day. Talley explained that is not unusual to respond to a run a day later because animal control has only 21 officers for the entire county and that only one person covers the county for the late shift. That officer is also working at a deficit to be able to answer calls because dispatching ends as late shift begins. The animal control officer is a law enforcement officer. He told McQuinn that the officer has to witness the event to be able to serve a citation, so he would have know about the approximate time the incident would occur. Talley said he would talk to McQuinn after the meeting to help resolve his issues. Pfisterer is also seeking community input about the proposed one-half of one percent income tax to cover the unfunded pension plan for police officers and firefighters that served prior to 1977. Their pensions were never funded, now that these employees are retiring the city needs to find a funding source. |
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