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June 29, 2012

Community group, Gibault have ‘productive meeting’ over safety issues

Sue Loughlin The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Representatives of a concerned community group and Gibault Services Inc. say they had a  “productive meeting” Thursday and pledged to work together to resolve safety and security issues that have escalated in recent months.

“We better understand eachother and we’ve opened the lines of communication,” said Ray Azar, Vigo County School Corp. director of student services. “There are things that can be done.”

The concerns involve Gibault “walkaways.”   Over the past nine months, some have been involved in violent incidents in the community.

Those attending the closed meeting at the VCSC administration building included representatives of Richland Manor and Allendale subdivisions, the school district, Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Gibault, Vigo County Commissioners and the Department of Child Services.

After the meeting, several of those who attended spoke with media: Azar; Michele Madley, executive director of Gibault’s Terre Haute campus; Kal Ellis of the Richland Manor Homeowners Association; Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing; and First Sgt. Matt Mischler of the Indiana State Police.

Measures to be implemented include  quicker notification of law enforcement when a Gibault resident attempts to leave campus, as well as timely notification of nearby neighborhoods and schools when walkaways occur. Details are still being worked out on procedures to notify neighborhoods or neighborhood representatives, Madley said.

In addition, law enforcement will have a heightened presence that includes patrols driving through campus when they are in the area.

Gibault is consulting with its licensing agency, the Department of Child Services, to determine if there are additional measures it can take to help improve security.

During the meeting, Madley listened to concerns of residents and answered questions. She also explained some of the regulations Gibault must adhere to as part of its licensing.

She described the meeting as productive.  “Everyone came to the table and offered suggestions. We were definitely willing to listen. We agree it is a community concern,” she said.

She noted that Gibault already is in the process of hiring additional safety and security staff on its campus. Because of its license, Gibault employees cannot carry weapons.

It also cannot hire off-duty police who would carry weapons, although that is an issue it is discussing with its licensing agency, she said.

Gibault will be implementing several of the suggestions, and the group plans to meet again in a few weeks.

Ewing said the sheriff’s department intends to “heighten our visibility out there as an immediate stopgap to try and curb some of these walkaways.” Addressing safety and security concerns related to Gibault “is going to be a team effort,” he said.

Ellis, who has been critical of comments made by Gibault CEO Jim Sinclair, was positive about Thursday’s meeting. “I believe the attitude reflected today [by Gibault] is very open and very caring about the community,” he said.

According to Azar, the attitude previously conveyed appeared to be that Gibault couldn’t do anything to stop juvenile residents from leaving campus and the community would have to live with it. “I don’t think that’s what we heard today,” Azar said.

At issue are the number of Gibault walkaways that are occurring, with some of those walkaways becoming involved in violent incidents in the community.

One of those incidents occurred earlier this month, when three Gibault walkaways were taken into police custody after allegedly attacking a woman in the southside Walmart parking lot.

Gibault is a residential treatment facility, not a detention center. Because of its licensing, it does have limitations in how it can respond to situations, Madley has said.

It is not allowed to lock down or confine the youths, officials have said. The doors lock to prohibit anyone from entering the facilities, but the youths can walk outside whenever they want.

In the psychiatric treatment unit, which houses about 20 to 25 youths at a time, there is a 30-second delay on a door before a resident can leave.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

 

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