Residents unite to fight crime in Michigan City | Local News
MICHIGAN CITY – A grassroots organization was recently formed to involve more residents in reducing crime in Michigan City.
The Michigan City Crime Prevention and Safety Organization invites the public to its first organizational meeting on Monday.
Councilman Paul Przybylinski, D-2nd, said he got involved because he was concerned about the crime and frustrated he didn’t do more to curb it, in his view.
“We want to help the community do something instead of just sitting around doing nothing and helping where we can help,” he said.
Ed Bohle Jr., a former police officer and retired construction worker, said the organization will serve as an umbrella for the neighborhood watch groups they hope to reestablish across the city.
The idea is for more citizens to monitor crimes and other things like suspicious activity and report their concerns and possible evidence to the police.
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“A lot of crimes are solved through advice of this nature,” Bohle said.
He said the group will also educate residents on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
Bohle said he was a police officer in Michigan City when residents organized to provide law enforcement with extra eyes and ears in the 1970s and 1980s.
“It was a very good solution, and it worked. We’re just trying to reinvent, I guess, neighborhood watch programs.
He said the continued eruption of shootings as well as other crimes like robberies, auto thefts, burglaries and vandalism are driving the effort.
Bohle said he worked for the private security of the owner of a warehouse near Chicago Street that was recently burglarized and vandalized, on average, once a week.
“They were tearing up the place,” he said.
Przybylinski said he also hopes that input from more residents will better determine the causes of rising crime and how to address it more effectively.
“It’s about organizing and finding out what’s going on and finding solutions,” he said.
Ironically, crime appears to be on the decline, according to information from the Michigan City Police Department. There were 6 homicides last year compared to 8 in 2020.
Non-fatal shootings fell from 24 to 19 last year, police said.
Police said there were also 399 complaints of shots being fired in 2021, a slight increase from the previous year.
Bohle said gun violence wasn’t as much of an issue when he was on the force.
“If we had two shootings a year, that was it,” he said.
The 6 p.m. meeting will be held at the Mikropor Training Center at 4921 Ohio St.
Gallery: Recent Arrests Reserved at LaPorte County Jail
Juwan Carwell
Date of arrest: March 27, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Flight
To classify: Crime
Age: 25
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Destiny Clanton

Date of arrest: March 28, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: Flight
To classify: Crime
Age: 25
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Luis Velasco-Moreno

Date of arrest: March 28, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: Home battery
To classify: Crime
Age: 25
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Catherine Roland

Date of arrest: March 27, 2022
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Description of the offence: neglect of a dependent; OWI
To classify: felonies
Age: 33
Residence: Milwaukee, Wis.
Jared Bealor

Date of arrest: March 28, 2022
Arresting Agency: LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office
Description of the offence: Non-return to legal detention
To classify: Crime
Age: 33
Residence: Hamlet, IN
Clifford Wesley

Date of arrest: March 27, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: attempted murder
To classify: Crime
Age: 61
Residence: LaPorte, IN
master bearer

Date of arrest: March 27, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Household battery; Breach of privacy; Escape; Failure to Comply
To classify: felonies
Age: 23
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Nicholas Kinzie

Date of arrest: March 26, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Flight
To classify: Crime
Age: 30
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Jeffrey Utpatel

Date of arrest: March 26, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 48
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Wylie Pearce

Date of arrest: March 25, 2022
Arresting Agency: Kingsford Heights Police Department
Description of the offence: Home battery
To classify: Crime
Age: 26
Residence: Kingsford Heights, IN
Hiawatha Wright

Date of arrest: March 25, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Possession of cocaine
To classify: Crime
Age: 49
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Chessidy walker

Date of arrest: March 25, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Possession of cocaine
To classify: Crime
Age: 32
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Wilton Coleman

Date of arrest: March 24, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Grated; Criminal detention; Household battery; Intimidation
To classify: felonies
Age: 22
Residence: Michigan City, IN
John Pope

Date of arrest: March 23, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Battery against a public safety officer
To classify: Crime
Age: 38
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Kensly Hewlett

Date of arrest: March 23, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Home battery
To classify: Offense
Age: 52
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Randall Cheffer

Date of arrest: March 23, 2022
Arresting Agency: Kingsford Heights Police Department
Description of the offence: OWI
To classify: Offense
Age: 38
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Kacey Cooper

Date of arrest: March 24, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 26
Residence: South curve, IN
Jesse Young

Date of arrest: March 23, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 38
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Ian Wuerster

Date of arrest: March 22, 2022
Arresting Agency: LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 34
Residence: North Judson, IN
Lord Tracie

Date of arrest: March 22, 2022
Arresting Agency: Michigan City Police Department
Description of the offence: Flight
To classify: Crime
Age: 29
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Brittany Lindsey

Date of arrest: March 21, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: Possession of methamphetamine
To classify: Crime
Age: 34
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Brandon Dadlow

Date of arrest: March 22, 2022
Arresting Agency: LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office
Description of the offence: Intimidation
To classify: Crime
Age: 34
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Wade Stacy

Date of arrest: March 22, 2022
Arresting Agency: LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 44
Residence: North Judson, IN
Kyle Russell

Date of arrest: March 22, 2022
Arresting Agency: Other
Description of the offence: Failure to appear
To classify: Crime
Age: 33
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Charles Turner

Date of arrest: March 21, 2022
Arresting Agency: La Porte Police Department
Description of the offence: battery aggravated; Unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent criminal; Obstruction of justice; Intimidation; possession of cocaine; Possession of methamphetamine
To classify: felonies
Age: 35
Residence: LaPorte, IN
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