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Warsaw police officers who have personal patrol vehicles may not take their families in their police cars, even when off-duty, the city council determined Monday.
Family members have been prohibited from riding in PPVs since 1990, and Police Chief Craig Allebach recently asked the council to expand the program to allow family members to ride in PPVs. His request was denied because of possible liability problems.
"If a family member in a car was injured during a pursuit, that would be a direct liability for the city," said city attorney Steve Snyder.
Councilman Dewey Lawshe, who until recently had opposed the PPV program, said he did not think taxpayers should be liable for officers' family members.
"I don't believe there should be families in the cars. And if there are, I think there should be something done about it," he said.
Four council members voted in favor of a motion to prohibit family members from riding in PPVs when the officer is on- or off-duty. Councilman Paul Siebenmorgan was not present; members Tammy Rockey and Porter Polston abstained.
Councilman Jerry Patterson added that he thought the policy should be more closely enforced.
The council also heard from Kosciusko County Court Judge James Jarrette, who explained to them the need for the county's recently organized Domestic Violence Task Force.
Many people think domestic violence is something that happens in other places, Jarrette said, and it occurs in Kosciusko County just as often as anywhere else.
"It's probably one of the toughest issues in this community," he said, citing a very real "potential of amazing danger" to victims and to those who try to help victims.
The task force, Jarrette said, will attempt to educate the public about the problem; focus on training of law enforcement, medical and school personnel to recognize victims of domestic violence; get remediation and counseling for abusers; and educate victims about their options as well as helping them gain access to resources that will allow them to leave the abusive situation safely.
The council agreed to support the task force, and Rockey volunteered to work with the task force.
In other business, the council:
• Unanimously approved the 1998 salary ordinance.
• Tabled an ordinance on licensing itinerant merchants until Siebenmorgan can present the information he collected on how the Parks Department deals with the merchants.
• Agreed to sweep weekly an alley behind Argonne Apartments because the alley has sunk and dirt and mud collect there.
• Granted an exception to Rick Small for a sewage tap-on fee because the application was incorrect.
• Agreed with Bruce Woodward, a local real estate agent and property manager, that the police will enforce violations when people dump trash in trash bins that are not theirs. Woodward said someone dumped four deer carcasses in a trash bin on property he manages; Officer Steve Brown found the violator, who was charged with an ordinance violation and fined $850.
The city council will meet at 5:30 p.m. July 29 to begin reviewing department budgets for 1998.
