[City-County Councilor Ben] Hunter, chairman of the City-County Council's Public Safety Committee, said he spent the day Downtown and felt as safe as he ever had.
“I consider Downtown safe and I and confident that public safety does what they need to do to protect all neighborhoods,” he said.
Hunter said large gatherings tend to attract “individuals who make poor choices.”
And when they do, police pounce, he said.
“You can’t say when someone makes a poor choice, ‘Oh, why didn’t he police chief do this or that’?” he said.When "individuals make poor choices . . . police pounce"? Did I miss something in this story? The writer makes no mention of any arrests being made in connection with any of the three separate shooting incidents that claimed at least two young victims. "Police are investigating three separate shootings Downtown last night and early this morning that injured two teen-agers," Tuohy writes. "Investigating" does not equate to making arrests, Councilor Hunter.
Incidentally, did police ever figure out who the second shooter was during last year's Black Expo summer celebration? Just a thought as we approach that annual event that causes residents to avoid our "safe downtown" like the plague despite the massive police presence.
Gary what I take from your comments is that you don't agree with Hunters position.
ReplyDeleteI've had the pleasure of getting to know Ben quit well. Hunter is respected by both side of the isle in his district and he has been very instrumental in bring business to the entire eastside.
Ben is the councilman for my wife's business and I know firsthand that when called upon, Ben helps. Crime is an issue downtown I agree with you on that however I know firsthand that IMPD is making some serious inroads on the eastside. I look for those announcements to become public soon. IMPD, The Mayor and Ben Hunter are ALL working together to make this happen.
Ernie, You are so blinded by partisan politics. If Hunter had a D behind his name, you would agree 100% with me. What I've learned about you is that everything you bitched about 4 years ago was just partisan bullshit. This mayor and this Republican council have betrayed those of us who put them in office. They will pay the price on election day, particularly Ballard. As for Hunter, hearing him describe himself as a fiscal conservative at a council meeting was quite laughable. He hasn't seen a tax increase he hasn't liked. This Republican council wouldn't know the meaning of responsible government budgeting. He does whatever he is ordered by Ryan Vaughn and Joe Loftus to do. He has absolutely no independent judgment. As long as he is getting free government junkets, free electronic toys and free tickets for him and his family to sporting events, he will do whatever he is told to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you feel that way Gary. I am partisan, I've admitted it here on several occasions. Good luck, I don’t know if you are a DICK or an idealist but both have a rough row to hoe and you are going to need all of the luck you can find in this imperfect world. Watch for a major announcement concerning crime and the eastside.
ReplyDeleteBen Hunter isn't the worst Republican councilor but he's probably in the top 5. Hunter has been a rubber stamp for every big spending, big taxing program, corporate welfare scheme Mayor Ballard has come up wiht. There's nothing to suggest than Hunter is even remotely a conservative or a Republican. Gary Welsh is exactly correct...if Hunter supported the same policies as he does, but were a Democrat, Indyernie would be screaming at the top of his lungs.
ReplyDeleteHere's Ernie's big announcement for the eastside from WRTV:
ReplyDelete"A fight between women may be connected to the shooting death of a 19-year-old man early Wednesday, Indianapolis police said.
Officers were called to the 9400 block of East 44th Street at 1:30 a.m. on a report of a person shot.
Dwight T. Moore was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead a short time later."
Ben Hunter has his own agenda.
ReplyDeleteWhat Indyernie doesn't get is that we are hypocrites if we critize Peterson for doing certain things while ignoring those same things when Ballard does them. Looking the other way when it comes to Republican misdeeds does not make the party stronger. It makes the party weaker. We need to call out our own when they don't live up to conservative principles. To not do so is to let those people undermine the party.l
ReplyDeleteAs far as IMPD making inroads on the east side?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention that.
About 3 years ago, many Irvingtonians decided that they wanted only 1 IMPD district for services, Northeast, as opposed to the 2 they'd had after the merger, Southeast and Northeast.
Hunter made that happen.
So now, only 1 beat exists from Arlington to Carroll RD, bordered by Washington St and Brookville RD. More often than not, this beat is left unmanned especially when patrol officers are short in number. NE64. It's a large area, primarily business, but a lot of subdivisions in there too.
Yeah. I wouldn't exactly use him as an efficiency expert on matters of public safety. His own time on IMPD was miniscule as far as uniformed patrol. That's not a personal slam either-he's a nice guy. But it Is the truth.
Ernie, some people would rather have a tough road than be a hypocrite. I know I would.
ReplyDeleteWithout principle, there can be no honor. And a life lived without honor is not really a life worth living (at least in my book).
Maybe backing guys without honor in the name of a corrupt party floats your boat, but believe it or not, there are people who stand on principle.