The Mid-North Public Safety Committee, which meets on the first Friday of every month, discussed substantial issues that concern the North District and Broad Ripple areas. The committee will inspect and address police reports, housing violation orders, and abandoned home legislation.

Lt. Clarence White of the Indianapolis Police Department noted that IPD began investigating a series of garage burglaries connected with the Broad Ripple area. By kicking in weak entry doors to the garages, suspects entered and stole bikes, lawn mowers, and other outdoor equipment. Residents should increase neighborhood watch organizations and "improve garage doors with steel," White said.

Several members of the committee worked with Indianapolis government to push abandoned home legislation into law. Ed Potts, a committee chairman, plans to work with city-county councils to back a new law that tracks abandoned properties.

Under the current system, renovation or demolition of abandoned homes takes two to three years. The new law would allow the process to take only 13 months.

To give examples for setting higher standards on rental properties, Executive Director of Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority Sherry Seiwert held a question and answer session for the committee.

Seiwert advocated the Bloomington Rental Registration and Inspection program, which sets rental occupancy rules and inspection guidelines for landlords.

The Bloomington ordinance forces landlords to attend government-run inspections of the owner's properties. The inspectors give landlords an allotted time frame to repair internal and external housing violations.

Seiwert admitted that the Bloomington ordinance may raise deposit and rental fee costs, but it ultimately benefits tenants.

"The Bloomington example won't work everywhere," Seiwert said. "It depends on housing and neighborhood stock."

The committee formulated plans to utilize resources from surrounding universities, newspapers, and graduate students to further legislation and media management in 2007.

Based on the belief of a resurgence of crime in the area, Potts and other members of the committee asked for higher attendance and more volunteers to help with safety issues. In particular, Potts called for retirees within the area to donate any available time to safety efforts.

"If we slack off, I can tell you right now-you are not going to be very happy campers," Potts said.