Pierceton Probes Skateboard Incidents
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PIERCETON - Pierceton police officer Jim Bumbaugh presented incident reports at the Monday town council meeting regarding a couple of unidentified children.
Youths were reported skateboarding in a church parking lot and in a bank parking lot this week. Someone also broke off signs prohibiting skateboarding at the church, at the bank and at the elementary school. Another sign in the church lot was scribbled with obscenities.
A couple of signs were thrown on the railroad tracks, but were removed by a citizen before a train could run over them.
Council president Jerry Kreger asked board member Mandy Espinoza to talk to the group developing the skate park. The organization includes youth who skateboard.
"We're working to build the skate park. They need to police themselves and put pressure on their peers," Kreger said.
Public Works Superintendent Chip Hill said he yelled at a couple of kids skateboarding on the entrance to the maintenance bay one day. The garage doorbell was rung constantly after that and his house was egged that night.
"I guess I should have kept my mouth shut," Hill said.
One citizen at the meeting said the youth in town have got to know who vandalized and stole the signs. "Aren't these criminal acts?" he asked.
Town Marshall Tim Sammons said the current policy is to confiscate the skateboard. It costs $50 to get it back.
Town attorney Jim Walmer said children can be charged and taken to juvenile court where the parents must appear. Lawsuits can be filed against parents for their children's acts for up to $5,000 per incident.
Walmer cautioned any individual approaching youth they see breaking the law. "Be very careful. Don't take the law into your own hands," he said.
Kreger gave a first reading of an ordinance regarding off-road vehicles. Introduced a few months ago and retooled, the operators of certain off-road vehicles must be 16 years old and older when riding within Pierceton corporate limits.
Vehicles include multi-wheel drive or low-pressure tire vehicles, golf carts or any other means of transportation capable of cross-country travel on or over land without a road or trail.
Fines range from $50 to $250 per incident plus attorney's fees.
Tom Roberts questioned the wording of the ordinance because it referred to vehicles licensed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He said four-wheel drives are licensed by the Department of Natural Resources.
Walmer advised Roberts that he is over 16 and the particulars of the code do not apply to him.
Sammons said it is always a 9- or 10-year-old, who takes grandpa's golf cart out for a spin, and finds themselves in traffic without the maturity to handle the situation.
Chris Shepherd of Harvest Community Church asked for and was given permission to have a live nativity in Brower Park Dec. 20-22 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Kreger said the town's economic development commission will reform because Lifeline Youth and Family Services seeks financial aid.
In January 2005 the organization petitioned the town to rezone 59 acres from an industrial 2 district to a public use district. The property is on the north side of Pequignot and north of CR 250S.
Lifeline operates juvenile facilities for youngsters who have gotten into trouble. Lifeline provides residences and schooling.
The staffing ratio to students will be one staff member to three to five students. Each group home will house 20 to 24 people. A detention center will house about 10 children. The group homes will be medium security. The initial capacity of five group homes will be 100 to 120 juveniles.
Now Lifeline is ready to borrow money for construction, an approximate $6 million. With an economic development commission the town can act as administrator for the not-for-profit organization's bond, which the council is willing to do. The town will not be responsible for any repayment.
The economic development commission has not been active for a number of years, Kreger said. While the council approves three members, the county council would recommend appointment of one member, the town council president another member, and the town council the third member.
The board also:
• Approved a raise for town employee Josh Denlinger.
• Heard from Sammons there are 92 DARE students this year.
• Heard the police department has applied for two Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education grants. One is for the DARE program. The other is funding for two portable radios.
Town council members are Jerry Kreger, Mandy Espinoza and Robert Tenney. [[In-content Ad]]
PIERCETON - Pierceton police officer Jim Bumbaugh presented incident reports at the Monday town council meeting regarding a couple of unidentified children.
Youths were reported skateboarding in a church parking lot and in a bank parking lot this week. Someone also broke off signs prohibiting skateboarding at the church, at the bank and at the elementary school. Another sign in the church lot was scribbled with obscenities.
A couple of signs were thrown on the railroad tracks, but were removed by a citizen before a train could run over them.
Council president Jerry Kreger asked board member Mandy Espinoza to talk to the group developing the skate park. The organization includes youth who skateboard.
"We're working to build the skate park. They need to police themselves and put pressure on their peers," Kreger said.
Public Works Superintendent Chip Hill said he yelled at a couple of kids skateboarding on the entrance to the maintenance bay one day. The garage doorbell was rung constantly after that and his house was egged that night.
"I guess I should have kept my mouth shut," Hill said.
One citizen at the meeting said the youth in town have got to know who vandalized and stole the signs. "Aren't these criminal acts?" he asked.
Town Marshall Tim Sammons said the current policy is to confiscate the skateboard. It costs $50 to get it back.
Town attorney Jim Walmer said children can be charged and taken to juvenile court where the parents must appear. Lawsuits can be filed against parents for their children's acts for up to $5,000 per incident.
Walmer cautioned any individual approaching youth they see breaking the law. "Be very careful. Don't take the law into your own hands," he said.
Kreger gave a first reading of an ordinance regarding off-road vehicles. Introduced a few months ago and retooled, the operators of certain off-road vehicles must be 16 years old and older when riding within Pierceton corporate limits.
Vehicles include multi-wheel drive or low-pressure tire vehicles, golf carts or any other means of transportation capable of cross-country travel on or over land without a road or trail.
Fines range from $50 to $250 per incident plus attorney's fees.
Tom Roberts questioned the wording of the ordinance because it referred to vehicles licensed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He said four-wheel drives are licensed by the Department of Natural Resources.
Walmer advised Roberts that he is over 16 and the particulars of the code do not apply to him.
Sammons said it is always a 9- or 10-year-old, who takes grandpa's golf cart out for a spin, and finds themselves in traffic without the maturity to handle the situation.
Chris Shepherd of Harvest Community Church asked for and was given permission to have a live nativity in Brower Park Dec. 20-22 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Kreger said the town's economic development commission will reform because Lifeline Youth and Family Services seeks financial aid.
In January 2005 the organization petitioned the town to rezone 59 acres from an industrial 2 district to a public use district. The property is on the north side of Pequignot and north of CR 250S.
Lifeline operates juvenile facilities for youngsters who have gotten into trouble. Lifeline provides residences and schooling.
The staffing ratio to students will be one staff member to three to five students. Each group home will house 20 to 24 people. A detention center will house about 10 children. The group homes will be medium security. The initial capacity of five group homes will be 100 to 120 juveniles.
Now Lifeline is ready to borrow money for construction, an approximate $6 million. With an economic development commission the town can act as administrator for the not-for-profit organization's bond, which the council is willing to do. The town will not be responsible for any repayment.
The economic development commission has not been active for a number of years, Kreger said. While the council approves three members, the county council would recommend appointment of one member, the town council president another member, and the town council the third member.
The board also:
• Approved a raise for town employee Josh Denlinger.
• Heard from Sammons there are 92 DARE students this year.
• Heard the police department has applied for two Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education grants. One is for the DARE program. The other is funding for two portable radios.
Town council members are Jerry Kreger, Mandy Espinoza and Robert Tenney. [[In-content Ad]]