Door to Door Solicitations

Q:My mother is in her late 80's and lives in South Bend. On the night before Thanksgiving a woman came to the door about 7 p.m. saying that she was from AT&T and wanted to review my mother's phone bill to see if they could save her money. I stepped outside on the porch to talk with the woman - she had a badge id and was carrying a binder which looked worn. I called my mother to the door and asked her if she was okay with her services - she said yes and I told the woman no thank you. These solicitations make me uneasy. She has also been getting calls related to this since then. I am thinking of getting her a new phone with caller id - she does have an answering machine and sometimes will just let calls ring through and then picks them up - do you have any suggestions?

A: We receive calls from residents when these people go door to door, however AT&T does do this and it is being done legally. If someone comes to you r door I suggest you ask for proper identification, and if you are unsure do not speak with them further or contact the company office of the business they say they are from and ask if they have representatives in your area to verify.

As for unwanted phone calls, I do suggest you invest in caller ID or a great service called Privacy Manager that self screens unidentified callers before they call in to you.

More Loud Neighbors

Q:My wife and I live in an older neighborhood with houses that are very close together. Our next door neighbor rents the upstairs of his home to renters. Every Thursday night they have a big card party with loud music until extremely late at night. What recourse do we have? Last night I called the non-emergency number to report this, but I'm hoping that we won't need to do that on a weekly basis. I'll be contacting our neighbors about it, but in the past they have been unreceptive to our concerns.

A: As always I suggest to contact the neighbors and speak with them first. If you find this does not solve the problem you may contact police to investigate and issue a citation if deemed in violation of the loud noise ordinance. Sadly, calling to report each time this occurs will be the only way police can address this when it happens.

Q:I have a permit to carry a handgun. My father had given me some handguns several years ago that are still registered in his name. Is is legal for me to carry them even though they are still registered to him?

A: A weapons carry permit allows you to carry a registered handgun without problems, but I would suggest you change the weapon registration over to your name. More information on state licensing is here.

Loud Semi Running

Q:I live in an apartment complex where each unit altogether forms a circle facing a central parking lot. There is a semi truck that parks in this parking lot and is left running overnight several nights a week. I have tried playing music and even wearing ear plugs, but the engine is so loud they are not effective. If I am having these problems, I would have to believe that many other people are as well. Is this individual allowed to do this? Is there anything I can legally do to make it stop? It is 2:30 am on yet another night of suffering from this dilemma. Thank you for your response...

A: I see by your address you live in Mishawaka. I would suggest you first contact the apartment management to resolve, as their rules may prohibit that, and they can likely most effectively address this with the truck driving tenant. Otherwise, a running engine is likely not going to be considered enough of a noise violation to take enforcement action on.

Using My Name?

Q:What do I do when someone uses my name & phone number on a business I'm no part of?

A: Without more information it is hard to give you advice. I would suggest you contact an attorney for more advice in your situation, as you may have a civil issue on your hands.

Vehicle Violations?

Q:It seems to me that there are a lot of visible and audible auto violations. cracked windshields, loud exhaust systems, loud stereos, as well as speeding. I would think that when police encounter these violations that issuing tickets would send a message to the citizens that we expect safe driving in safe vehicles as well as
improve the $$ generated for the city?

A: You are right. Officers, including myself are constantly on the lookout for vehicle violations, especially expired plates, when not going from call to call. Violations that are ticketable offenses are generally ticketed. Some revenue from ticket payments by state law is funneled back to agencies for use such as equipment purchases or officer training.

Child Custody Dispute

Q:What can happen if an married couple were not living together but the mom let the father keep their child over night and the next day the father did not give the child back to the mother?? Could the father do that??

A: Without a formal court ordered visitation schedule there may not be a crime or civil law broken if the arrangement for custody is only verbally set. I suggest you contact a family law lawyer for more advice on your particular needs.

Being Around A Drug User?

Q:I'd like to know if being in the immediate vicinity of a person who is using or possessing crack cocaine is crime? I am a documentary film maker (first film, can\'t afford a lawyer) and I want to make a film on the "crack epidemic", but 20 years later. Of course this will put me in contact with the lowest of the crack users in the community, yet I need their unrelenting trust.

A: Actually Indiana Code 35-48-4-13:Visiting or maintaining a common nuisance states that: A person who knowingly or intentionally visits a building, structure, vehicle, or other place that is used by any person to unlawfully use a controlled substance commits visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor. So being around drug users while using IS an arrestable offense.

When Are You Hiring?

Q:I have a friend (in WI) who is looking for work as a police officer in this area. I thought I recalled someone mentioning to me that SBPD had a fairly high "turn over" rate. which I think means that he may be able to get in there.

But before I "get his hopes up" I was wondering if you would be able to tell me for sure; if SBPD is currently accepting applications and when the next "test date" is. And honestly how good his chances would be if he were to apply, at getting a job with SBPD.

A: A few things. One, our officer "turn over" rate is VERY low. We are losing several officers this year to retirements, but we actually have a very competitive hiring applicant pool, especially with attracting officers who are already sworn from what I have seen. Applications are taken year round and are then placed into the next pool for testing dates. These are held several times per year, and the most recent one began just this weekend. I can tell you times from initial testing to hiring offes is about 6-8 months, which is VERY fast for agencies. If he is thinking of applying, encourage him to do so ASAP! Good luck!

SBPD Cadet Program

Q:I noticed SBPD has a college tuition reimbursement program. Is there any way I could recieve an information packet of some sort on this program? Also can you receive tuition reimbursement if you are going to college out of town? I am attending IU-Bloomington next year, but if possible I would be very interested in this program. Thank you

A:You are referring to our cadet program. More information is available online for college age students who can be hired to work part time at the police station while attending college. More information is found here or contact our training and recruiting bureau.!