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June 21, 2012

Another Gibault walkaway prompts meeting

Residents, law enforcement, schools gathering to discuss concerns regarding safety in are

Sue Loughlin The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Safety concerns related to continuing Gibault student walkaways — including another nonviolent incident Wednesday morning —  have prompted a meeting today involving representatives of nearby subdivisions, police and Vigo County School Corp. officials.

“Something has to be done,” said Kal Ellis, Terre Haute attorney and president of the Richland Manor Homeowners Association. The walkaway incidents “are occurring with more frequency and more violence.”

Meanwhile, a Gibault official says the residential treatment program is hearing community concerns and taking steps to strengthen security measures. “I’m taking their concerns seriously,” Michele Madley, Gibault vice president and executive director of the Terre Haute campus, said Wednesday afternoon. She and other Gibault representatives have met with Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing.

Earlier in the day, Ellis spoke to media after another walkaway incident in which a Gibault resident was seen walking through Richland Manor subdivision looking inside vehicles.

The 12-year-old female reportedly went to the home of Kelly and Steve Nasser and looked inside locked family vehicles parked on a driveway. The girl also went around the side of the house and looked at the backyard through a fence. The youth told a Nasser family member she was “just checking out the house,” Kelly Nasser said.

The Gibault resident was taken into custody and transported to the Vigo County Juvenile Center for delinquency/runaway, according to Indiana State Police. Both state police and the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call.

The Nassers and other Richland Manor residents are calling upon Gibault to improve security measures. “We’re afraid,” said Kelly Nasser. “Clearly something needs to be done.”

Richland Manor is a housing subdivision southwest of Gibault. “This is where they [walkaways] tend to come first,” Nasser said.

Residents cite frequent Gibault walkways and violent incidents that have occurred in the community.

In the most recent violent incident June 10, three Gibault walkaways were taken into police custody after allegedly attacking a woman in the southside Walmart parking lot. Last October, there was a violent carjacking and fatal car wreck involving Gibault youths.

Richland Manor residents fear there may be more violent acts and believe they are at risk, Nasser said.

Ellis is critical of Gibault CEO Jim Sinclair’s response last week to the concerns of southside residents.

Sinclair told the Tribune-Star on Friday that because of state and federal regulations, the youths cannot be locked down or confined. He also said that a perimeter fence is not financially feasible.

“The bottom line is the community wants these incidents to not occur, but I don’t think that’s realistic,” Sinclair also said last week.

Ellis takes issue with those comments. “This attitude that people ought to just accept the fact that [Gibault youth] are going to walk away is ridiculous. We’re not going to accept that,” he said.

While Gibault leaders may say it’s not financially feasible to install a perimeter fence, “they don’t have a problem with spending thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money” when law enforcement agencies must respond to incidents on a weekly or more frequent basis, he said.

If efforts to work with Gibault’s licensing agency and board don’t have an impact, it may be necessary to file lawsuits, Ellis said.

Ray Azar, Vigo County School Corp. director of student services, is to help facilitate today’s meeting, which will take place in the VCSC administration building. The intent is to have a discussion and determine “what would be reasonable to ask Gibault to do to improve the safety and security of those in the area,” including residents and schools, Azar said.

Ewing, who will attend today’s meeting, said he is gathering information and then hopes to evaluate “what can be done, working together, to try and resolve these issues.”

Madley said Gibault “is considering the community’s concerns” and is taking steps to address them. Those steps include meeting with the sheriff’s department and Indiana State Police and talking with the state Department of Child Services about licensing regulations.

The goal is to improve the safety of campus “in an effective manner that protects the community as well our kids and staff,” Madley said.

Gibault also wants to meet with the Allendale and Richland Manor homeowners’ associations. “I live on this end of town, I’m a community member as they are and I’m taking their concerns seriously,” Madley said.

Indiana State Police, who respond to Gibault walkways or other incidents on nearly a weekly basis, also are concerned about the community’s safety, said Sgt. Joe Watts, public information officer.

“We are concerned about the people who live and walk around that area” and the potential for other violent incidents to occur, he said.

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

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