Northwest Indiana Discussion

While this is not a Hammond only issue it has been brought to my attention that according to some Hammond Police is more concerned with working felony cases than trivial misdemeanor breakins and such. If this is in fact the case, as we reconsider the functional structure of government perhaps we should look at the duplicity of services by the various police departments around the county.

Any crime is significant if you are the victim. There's probably little that's more upsetting than having your house or garage broken into. But when you all but do all of the investigative work for the cops and they still don't seem very motivated to pursue the matter, as appears to be the situation with one homeowner I correspond with, it is truly aggravating.

At what point do we unnecessarily incur duplication of government services to the near exclusion of other facets of the crime problem? Shouldn't more serious crimes be pursued by the state and county, and not the city officers? Traditionally hasn't it been the city cops that we instead look to for traffic control, B&E investigation, and sleazy hooker abatement? And actually due to jurisdiction issues doesn't it make better sense for the county or state to just take over more serious crime investigations entirely?

Now granted, I guess I am talking out of school as to the roles the various policing departments play in pursuing various crimes. Still, I do think it is fair game to at least question what is, why it is, and what should be different. For example Hammond has a nice crime lab to work with yet someone said that it would take 6 weeks for fingerprints of a B&E to get processed (even with the prime suspect's prints to match with) and I believe Maxx was upset that HPD refused to contact a merchant for their lot security tapes because the crime was not deemed serious enough to trouble with.

OTOH our cops have been very good at dealing with violent threats such as dealing with armed gunmen and other such life & death emergencies in one scenario or another. And I don't mean to demean that good work. That said, who do we turn to to actively pursue property crimes? Why in cases does it seem that the only pursuit of justice is a loss claim to the insurance, even when the perpetrator is likely known?

I think a contributing factor to consider here is the long standing one party rule in north Lake County, Indiana. Nobody wants to rock the boat. No one is willing to take on such issues. We do things as they have been done mainly because that's how they've been done. So who's decision is it that city cops should actively investigate just felonies but when it comes to a home invasion it's apparently just mainly an event to take a report for insurance claims?

And if it's a matter of Hammond having to spend more of it's detective hours investigating murderers and such then why aren't the county and state investigators performing this function more satisfactorily?

Well it looks like in Hammond it is getting tough to get a juvenile prosecuted for property crimes. I just received an email from a resident who is the recent victim of a break in and had basically done the investigative work on their own because the cops apparently haven't pursued the matter. This is an excerpt.

Here's the corker:

The prosecutors office does not file charges against anyone under the age of eighteen (18). You may file those charges with the HAMMOND POLICE JUVENILE SECTION at (219) 852-2908. (Here's me...we're suppose to know their exact age, 17 vs 18????, though we know who they are, they admit who they are, they point out their accomplice(s), yet age has to do with where you file, and WAIT IN LINE TWO DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK FOR 10 VICTIMS, OTHERWISE, MAKE YOUR APPT.?)

THE HAMMOND OFFICE OF THE LAKE COUNTY PROSECUTOR DOES NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE REGARDING RESTRINING ORDERS. HOWEVER, A PROTECTIVE ORDER MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT THE LAKE SUPERIOR COURT HOUSE LOCATED AT 232 RUSSEL STREET IN HAMMOND, INDIANA. TELEPHONE NUMBER (219) 933-2850

Copy of Reports:

You may obtain a copy of the Offense Report at the Records Section of the HAMMOND POLICE DEPARTMENT loated at 509 Douglas St in Hammond, Indiana. The fee for the report is 0.10 and office hours are: Monday through friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday and holiday.

The lack of punctuation, I added commas, etc. and separated paragraphs. How old is this [form]? To top it off, if you know the age of the kid by what he says, "17" and he really is older, and you give all this info, the address, the admission of the perpetrator in front of two officers, here nothing...and now I need to check Pawn shops...what the hell is this stupid piece of paper worth?

If Dolton cops grabbed the kid and yanked him in they would hold the robber/ until the finger prints came back which was immediate.

Making an appt. with a prosecutor? Waiting in line, and only 10 people out of 7,900 victims to be heard a week?

Can you draw attention to this on the Hammond forum. I'm sick of this B.S., outdated, not even typed right, with proper punctuation, some I left it go, some I added the commas, and stuff, but this is antiquated.

Also

What I found out reading the Victim Information Notice today, was: Criminal Investigations, call 219-852-2906 (I went in person four times, remember?).

Then it says, "A detective WILL NOT routinely contact you unless additional information is required or your future assistance is needed." (IN BOLD CAPS!)

Case # xx-xxxxx
Date/Time of occurance: Officer only wrote down the date
Adult Felony Crimes and Juvenile Crimes is the Heading

Your case will be on file with the Hammond Police Dept. under the above case number. Refer to this number whenever you are communicating with the HPD, concerning this INCIDENT. (MY CAPS).

Your case will be assigned for follow-up investigation based upon facts obtained during the initial investigation. The basis of these facts can predict whether a comprehensive follow-up investigation would likely result in the arrest and prosecution of suspect(s) or the recovery of property. Your case will be reviewed and retained to determine if criminals active in the area can be identified. (I identified the person, he confessed and gave the names of the two kids he tipped off, duh!). A DETECTIVE WILL NOT ROUTINELY CONTACT YOU UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS REQUIRED OR YOUR
(In 7 pt. type the following goes on)...

To report additional information which may assist in the investigation please contact the following:

Criminal Investigations Division 8 A.M. - 4 P.M. 219- 852-2906
Auto Theft Section 8 A.m. - 4 P.m. (219) 852-2906
Juvenile Section 8 A.M. - 4 P.m. (219) 852-2908

To requst additional information reference DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRIMES AND PROTECTIVE ORDERS contact the Hammond Police Department's Domestic Violence Victim Advocate (219) 853-0480.

MISDEMEANOR CRIMES (BOLD AND CENTERED)

Complaining person may contact the Hammond Office of the Lake County Prosecutors at (219) 853-6386 r (219) 933-2850; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Walk-in intake applications are accepted on the following dates and times:
Monday at 1:00 p.m. First 5 people to arrive (GASP! WAIT IN LINE AGAIN!)
Wednesday 8:30 a.m. First 5 people to arrive (GASP! WAIT IN LINE AGAIN!)

And you wonder why there are gang problems when juvenile prosecution for breaking, entering, and robbing is apparently too trivial to actively pursue?

It looks like Hammond is victimizing the victim with all this standing in line just to be heard. I'm beginning to think Judge Harkin needs more money, not less, to run his court. Or at least he would if such cases were being properly prosecuted.

Maybe a couple more baseball diamonds will keep the punks otherwise occupied.

Remember "Midnight Basketball".......?

Inner-city yutes were supposed to lay down their guns, stop dealing drugs, and play basketball all night instead.

I am getting emails with even more disturbing news on this subject. Oddly, someone saw fit to delete the original thread on the other board. Can't imagine why?

This story isn't going away! There are more accounts to tell!! How can we be a desirable community and attract better citizens while retaining the ones we have while these types of crimes are made such a low priority?

I know one woman who was robbed and the HPD really dragged it's feet even making the crime report available (still has not complied despite several promises to fax a copy to the hospital) so the poor woman could be allowed to replace her Federally controlled medication. As a result she had to go to the hospital because she got sick from not having the meds. This is inexcusable!

Most rational people would answer: "you can't."

Hammond, however, is blessed with leadership (and their obligate boot-lickers) that feel the way to attract better citizens is to focus energy on covering every spare open space with baseball diamonds, funding the display of a Wisconsin Dells-like Statue of Liberty replica, building a water park (seems to me that the other water parks in the region have fallen short of expectations--yet this one will somehow be different), and concentrating on attracting all the low-paying, low-skill employers they can.

The illusion of a lower tax levy is nice, but the financial legerdermain by which this was achieved (increased home assessments while housing prices are tanking, shifting costs from one department to another, etc.) doesn't fool the type of resident the city is trying to attract. Getting a smiley-face approval of the city's financial status from any authority in Lake County is not even worth the paper on which it is printed.

As others have posted, attention to boring fundamentals like police protection doesn't have the sizzle of a ribbon-cutting at a new Wal-Mart or a photo opportunity at a little-league park (thousands and thousands of kids influenced!!!!).

Hammond should just write off the return of better-educated individuals who earn higher incomes for the foreseeable future. Stick with what the city does best: warehousing residents that Mayor Daley doesn't want.

Well said.

I have seen many places over the years without the resources of urban life yet the people felt safe and secure because even these such crimes were taken seriously and dealt with. And again I don't wish to demean the many things HPD is very good at. But after the account I received from one victim it seems like in crimes such as this the HPD is as dysfunctional as it ever was. Even some of the printed forms still contain grammatical errors! I thought some lady lawyer (I forget the name) fixed that when McDermott took over?

And I understand that while I have been singling out HPD really all the local police departments need to get tougher on these offenses and improve their procedures. When a citizen makes the case and all but makes the arrest yet the suspect is still at large and the poor woman still can't even get her needed copy of the police report to replace her controlled meds because the detectives ain't done dick except stall then THAT is a serious problem.

From the one who claims she "doesn't hate the police".

I would hate the police as well if I solved my own burglary and could not get my medications because they were to lazy to file a police report so that I could get them

Yeah that's a good reason to hate the Police in general. Especially when you know those are the facts, just because someone said so. Since I became involved in law enforcement, or I mean public service, or I mean since I became a Cabana Boy, I also "generalize". Like the Police are generalized and judged I judge also, that is why I generalize the public, people in general. So you know what my opinion of "people" is.... Good day to you and Mirage.

My goodness.....

Methinks you sure don't sound very proud to be a pig.

I feel sorry for you, dude. It must be a terrible life to lead.
It seems your anger and hate consume you.

May you find peace during this Holiday Season.