Warsawan Concerned About Police Using Main Street For Emergency Responses
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
A Warsaw resident is concerned with law enforcement speeding and using Main Street as a thoroughfare to get to emergencies.
Bruce Woodward, 1515 E. Main St., attended Monday night's Warsaw City Council meeting and voiced his concerns to the council.
"I have no complaints with the departments, but some of the officers who are showing lack of respect for our citizens," Woodward said.
Woodward suggested law enforcement use Center Street during emergencies because he said it is a safer route without going into residential neighborhoods and is better equipped to handle emergency vehicles.
"The citizens and guests along Main Street are being endangered by the speeding squads," Woodward said.
Five other Main Street residents attended the meeting and supported Woodward's concerns.
Scott Holladay, a Main Street resident, said his concern is officers speeding to get to accidents without sounding sirens.
"A driver or pedestrian cannot judge how fast something is coming without a siren," Holladay said.
Other residents said they have seen not only city officers, but county officers speeding to get to emergencies without using sirens.
The residents suggested Warsaw Police Chief Steve Foster send a memo to officers to use Center Street as much as possible when going to an emergency.
Woodward sent an e-mail to Lt. Kip Shuter dated June 13 with his concerns that the council reviewed at its meeting Monday night.
Woodward said he has previously expressed his concern to Foster and Mayor Ernie Wiggins concerning squad cars on second and third shift using Main Street as a route to access the south, west and north side of Warsaw on "emergency" runs.
He states he saw the vehicles traveling at high speeds along the street as fast as approximately 60 to 70 miles per hour.
Woodward said he was driving on Center Street heading west from Owen's Grocery June 13 just before 10 p.m. when he saw an ambulance come out of the EMS station from his rear view mirror.
Woodward said the car intentionally moved off of Center Street to use Main Street.
As he drove west on Main Street he counted nine groups of people, couples and parents with children that were walking on the sidewalks and in the streets that didn't have sidewalks in the area.
The e-mail also contained a response letter from Warsaw Police Chief Steve Foster dated June 14.
Foster stated in the letter that Woodward's concerns are being taken seriously and will be looked into by Shuter and himself.
Councilman Bob Morrison, a retired Fort Wayne police officer, said it is the duty of a police department to immediately respond to calls.
"I live in the city because I know we have the best police protection and if something happens I know a squad car will be there quickly," Morrison said.
Police Chief Steve Foster attended the meeting and said he will meet with Mayor Ernie Wiggins and Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert Tuesday morning to discuss the issue.
"The issue is not being taken lightly and we will discuss it," Wiggins said.
