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Residents press council for more police presence and fireworks enforcement
Summary
Two residents told the council they feel unsafe due to limited patrol coverage, speeding and large fireworks displays; the mayor and Councilwoman Ficus said the traffic commission will follow up and public records can be reviewed to track calls for service.
At the July 6 meeting, two La Porte residents used the public-comment period to press elected officials on public-safety concerns.
Sierra Sue Jesh of 202 Miller Street thanked the council for recent police hires but said the city still has only three patrol districts and effectively four on-duty supervisors, which she said leaves the city thin when officers respond to major calls. "We need more officers," Jesh said, urging the council to increase patrol coverage rather than rely on county support; she warned that unpaid or overstretched coverage can leave neighborhoods vulnerable when officers are tied up on domestic or other serious calls.
Linda Dilkes of 402 East Jefferson Avenue described large fireworks displays near her home that produced smoke and embers and said code enforcement and police were unable to intervene because performers were on private property. She said the activity has occurred repeatedly in the same neighborhood and that she tracked locations on a map she offered to the council. "It was like a war zone where I live," Dilkes said, describing public-safety and nuisance concerns and asking for stronger enforcement.
The mayor responded to the speakers by acknowledging calls for more police and saying the administration prioritized raising pay for officers this term; he noted officers are active in drug-task-force and other efforts and said Councilwoman Ficus — who chairs the traffic commission — would contact Dilkes and refer street-safety concerns to the traffic commission, which meets July 7 at 5 p.m. at the police station. The mayor also reminded speakers that calls-for-service are public records available through city hall.
What happens next: Councilwoman Ficus will follow up with Ms. Dilkes and traffic-commission staff; the traffic commission agenda provides an opportunity for staff to review speeding and intersection safety. The council did not vote on changes to staffing or fireworks rules at the July 6 meeting.
