Syracuse officials say last week's Klan rally was handled well
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - The phrase KKK never came up during the meeting, but town officials spent a few minutes Monday patting each other on the back for the handling of last week's Klan rally.
With less than a full day's warning, Syracuse Police Chief Bill Endler mapped out a strategy with Indiana State Police and was able to avoid any disorder Friday as nearly 200 heckling onlookers watched 16 robed members of the Ku Klux Klan march near Syracuse Elementary.
Despite the lack of preparation time and an unexpectedly large number of anti-Klan protesters, police were able to keep the factions apart and still satisfy a horde of media, Endler said.
Reporters from six television stations and various newspapers and radio stations were corralled behind a fence during the noon-time march and were then allowed to meet with Klan leaders afterward.
"I wanted (KKK marchers) to do their thing, get done and then get them in a secure area," Endler said after Monday's council meeting in which various department heads commended him and public works superintendent Tom Miller for their preparation.
Endler said he relied heavily on ISP detectives who have worked Klan rallies in the past.
About 25 officers, including Syracuse, state and Kosciusko County deputies, canvassed the protest. Street department workers helped block off the protest area on Boston Street and worked with crowd control.
"It's gratifying to know you can count on people," Endler said.
Town manager Matt Vigneault said he was impressed with what he saw.
"I witnessed some extraordinary performances Friday. Marshal Bill Endler and the Syracuse Police Department did a wonderful job," Vigneault said.
"It could have been an explosive situation."
The protest was announced Thursday, one day after the community learned some fourth-graders at the school had been given a worksheet containing words such as nigger, commie and Jew.
The teacher who distributed the materials was heavily criticized, and the issue has not been entirely resolved by Wawasee Schools administrators. The teacher disavowed any Klan affiliation, but Klan members still rushed to her defense.
Although four town officials took turns commending each other Monday, nobody specifically mentioned the Klan.
"We don't want to give more fanfare to that kind of thing," Vigneault said. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - The phrase KKK never came up during the meeting, but town officials spent a few minutes Monday patting each other on the back for the handling of last week's Klan rally.
With less than a full day's warning, Syracuse Police Chief Bill Endler mapped out a strategy with Indiana State Police and was able to avoid any disorder Friday as nearly 200 heckling onlookers watched 16 robed members of the Ku Klux Klan march near Syracuse Elementary.
Despite the lack of preparation time and an unexpectedly large number of anti-Klan protesters, police were able to keep the factions apart and still satisfy a horde of media, Endler said.
Reporters from six television stations and various newspapers and radio stations were corralled behind a fence during the noon-time march and were then allowed to meet with Klan leaders afterward.
"I wanted (KKK marchers) to do their thing, get done and then get them in a secure area," Endler said after Monday's council meeting in which various department heads commended him and public works superintendent Tom Miller for their preparation.
Endler said he relied heavily on ISP detectives who have worked Klan rallies in the past.
About 25 officers, including Syracuse, state and Kosciusko County deputies, canvassed the protest. Street department workers helped block off the protest area on Boston Street and worked with crowd control.
"It's gratifying to know you can count on people," Endler said.
Town manager Matt Vigneault said he was impressed with what he saw.
"I witnessed some extraordinary performances Friday. Marshal Bill Endler and the Syracuse Police Department did a wonderful job," Vigneault said.
"It could have been an explosive situation."
The protest was announced Thursday, one day after the community learned some fourth-graders at the school had been given a worksheet containing words such as nigger, commie and Jew.
The teacher who distributed the materials was heavily criticized, and the issue has not been entirely resolved by Wawasee Schools administrators. The teacher disavowed any Klan affiliation, but Klan members still rushed to her defense.
Although four town officials took turns commending each other Monday, nobody specifically mentioned the Klan.
"We don't want to give more fanfare to that kind of thing," Vigneault said. [[In-content Ad]]