March 10, 2010

Election info

  1. March 3, 2010

    Szilagyi supports creation of drug court

    Szilagyi

    Szilagyi

       Democratic candidate for prosecutor Robert C. Szilagyi endorses the creation of a drug court in LaPorte County.

       “The problems of drug abuse affect our community in a number of ways,” Szilagyi said in a press release, offering the following data: According to a report on June 25, 2009, by the LaPorte County Drug Free Partnership, the number of arrests for dealing cocaine in Michigan City increased by 17% from 2006 to 2008; the number of LaPorte County residents seeking treatment for heroin has drastically increased, and the number of infants testing positive for illegal drugs has jumped from 5 in 2008 to 16 in 2009.

       Szilagyi said a drug court will assist in the fight against drug abuse. Drug courts provide a non-adversarial approach, prosecution and defense counsel to promote public safety while providing drug treatment services to reduce recidivism, he said.

       Drug court has been successful in one-third of the counties in Indiana, including in nearby Lake, Porter and St. Joseph counties, the press release stated. In the last five years, the courts, adult probation, and social service agencies have been interested in the development of a drug court in LaPorte County. The Indiana Judicial Center requires that all judicial partners, including the prosecutor, collaborate to successfully integrate alcohol and other drug treatment with justice system case processing.

       Szilagyi said if elected, he would collaborate with the courts, probation and social service agencies to secure grant funding for a drug court in LaPorte County, and would work with law enforcement, the courts and any other professionals necessary to establish programs that would benefit LaPorte County and its citizens.

       “Problems must be addressed with teamwork, communication, cooperation as well as an innovative spirit,” he said. “LaPorte County could and should be a leader when protecting its citizens.”

    Posted in: Election info

    permanent link add a comment

  2. February 25, 2010

    Szilagyi: Beckman’s 2008 “rant” to police officer shows he is unfit for office

       Robert C. Szilagyi, Democratic challenger for prosecuting attorney, stated in a press release Feb. 24, 2010, that “the temperament and attitude of the current prosecutor is not one of professionalism nor respect for law enforcement.”

    Szilagyi

    Szilagyi

       Along with the press release, Szilagyi’s campaign personnel released a transcript of an audiotape labeled “Beckman’s Rant” by the Michigan City Police Department. In the tape, Beckman “chastised a Michigan City police officer on November 12, 2008, for stopping a speeding motorist in front of his house,” Szilagyi’s press release stated.

       A Szilagyi campaign aide said police gave the Szilagyi camp the tape because they are not happy with how Beckman runs the prosecutor’s office.

       To read the transcript in its entirety, click on this link:

    http://www.whatsnewlaporte.com/2010/02/25/transcript-of-conversation-between-prosecutor-robert-beckman-and-a-mcpd-officer/

    　   Szilagyi said the tape “was laced with profanity by the incumbent prosecutor and maintained derogatory comments toward the mayor (of Michigan City) and ‘newly elected idiot judges,’ as Mr. Beckman put it. The officer involved should be commended for his restraint and his attempts to calm an obviously out-of-control prosecutor.”

    Beckman

    Beckman

       Szilagyi continued, “This is not an isolated incident. My campaign has also received a June 19, 2007, police report in which Mr. Beckman threatened two county officials concerning an apartment complex being built near his home. The prosecutor indicated that if those officials did not do something, whatever happened around the apartment complex during construction ‘would make what happened at Virginia Tech look minor.’ ”

       “This threatening conduct and a lack of professionalism should not be condoned by any elected official, particularly one in a capacity as a prosecutor,” said Szilagyi. If elected, he said “my office would be committed to teamwork, cooperation and communication with all law enforcement agencies. Each agency would be respected for what their jobs are and what they do without interference from the prosecutor. Certainly, threats and intimidating tactics should not be used by the prosecutor when dealing with law enforcement, the courts or other public officials.”

    Posted in: Election info

    permanent link add a comment

  3. February 25, 2010

    Transcript of conversation between Prosecutor Robert Beckman and MCPD officer

       This is the transcript of an audiotape from Michigan City Police relating a conversation between LaPorte County Prosecutor Robert Beckman and a police officer on Nov. 12, 2008, during a traffic stop on Pahs Road in Michigan City.

    DATE: 11/12/08

    PARTICIPANTS:

    LaPorte County Prosecutor Robert Beckman = Beckman

    Michigan City Police Officer Tim Baker = Officer Baker

     

    Officer Baker: You look like you have something on your mind, sir.

    Beckman: Why are we doing this?

    Officer Baker: Traffic stops?

    Beckman: Yeah.

    Officer Baker: We’re doing …

    Beckman: Did you write that guy a ticket?

    Officer Baker: I’m sorry?

    Beckman: Did you write him a ticket?

    Officer Baker: Yeah.

    Beckman: Week’s pay.

    Officer Baker: Yeah, that’s about right. That’s absolutely …

    Beckman: Why?

    Officer Baker: Well, ’cause they are paying me overtime to do it on the Fatality Reduction Grant.

    Beckman: Why are we doing it on this road?

    Officer Baker: Um, because it’s pretty high traveled. School zone.

    Beckman: Do you know you just pulled him over in the county? Do you have jurisdiction in the county?

    Officer Baker: Um, I’ve always done it through here. It a (unintelligible)

    Beckman: Do you have jurisdiction in the county, officer?

    Officer Baker: I would say we are in the city.

    Beckman: Pahs Road is not city. Segments of Pahs Road on one side are city. Not on both sides. Why are we out here? Are you guys going to go down here and ticket this godd— construction complex for putting that mud on the road?

    Officer Baker: Uh …

    Beckman: Are you, because if I put oil, if I put mud on the road like that in front of my house you guys would have my a– arrested. That’s a brand new road down there. It’s creating a damn traffic hazard. Have you driven through that mud down there that they tracked up on that road now?

    Officer Baker: Uh, I can’t say that I drove there today or probably in the last few days. No I haven’t.

    Beckman: Well, maybe you should, because it’s a safety hazard. Although that’s technically county there.

    Officer Baker: Uh-huh.

    Beckman: Because this side of the road, you’re sitting in the county right now. You’re not in Michigan City right now.

    Officer Baker: Correct. I’ll take that word for you.

    Beckman: That’s not what I’m worried about. What I’m worried about is why my neighborhood and why potentially my friends and neighbors have to worry about speed traps on a road when this godd— city don’t give a f— about this parking lot across the way. Don’t give a damn about this apartment complex. Don’t give a damn about the litter down here. They’re not here when the kids are in session. Sorta makes me wonder if the city needs to balance its budget on more of our Coolspring Township residents. And if that’s why we have too many speed patrols on this road.

    Officer Baker: I can’t say how many speed patrols or not.

    Beckman: I know you know I’m not yelling, but I’m not yelling at you, officer. I don’t even know who you are. But this is bulls— now. It’s bulls—. The city doesn’t need the money. F—ing Oberlie does not need the godd— money. I got more than enough money when I negotiated the riverboat gaming development agreement for the godd— city, so they could have 92 officers and every other jurisdiction in this county, like LaPorte, has 42. You know if they’re driving 60 or 70, by God, you pull them over. If they’re driving 40 miles per hour on their way home for Christ’s sake … the economy’s tanking. These people that live down there can’t afford this. The people that live out in Coolspring Township that use this road to get home after work cannot afford getting dinged for a week’s worth of pay. Nor can my office afford to have to jack ‘em around with idiot judges like we have recently elected, like we elected two years ago. The world is tanking. At some point, officers are going to have to start realizing discretion. We’re going to have to start doing what is appropriate, not what Governor Mitch wants you to do by sending blood money up here. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be yelling at you. You got nothing to do with this. You were sent out here, I know, by your commander to set up a radar. But geez! As if the people ain’t got enough to worry about.

    Officer Baker: I’ll bite my tongue and let it go at that. Let you …

    Beckman: I’m not yelling at you. I am yelling, and I am directing it because you are here. But you know, officer, I am not yelling at you. But doggone it, of all the sh– that goes on out here to constantly have godd— … well, it’s not Al Green anymore. Don’t even know who is in charge of the cotton-picking traffic (unintelligible). It’s not Zumac, is it?

    Officer Baker: No.

    Beckman: Thank God. Why would they do this out here? This is, this is just so … why they do it because they know damn good and well that most Michigan City taxpaying residents do not drive on this road. And that’s why they set you up out here.

    Officer Baker: (Unintelligible)

    Beckman: So that you can get the county residents.

    Officer Baker: Ah …

    Beckman: That guy was from the county, wasn’t he?

    Officer Baker: Nope.

    Beckman: Where was he from?

    Officer Baker: Not gonna tell you.

    Beckman: All right, that’s good because you’re probably not supposed to. Nah.

    Officer Baker: But I’ll be honest with you. I’ve ran Keifer Road. I ran Woodland Avenue. I run Pahs Road. I ran through … (unintelligible)

    Beckman: You should run those roads.

    Officer Baker: I ran the construction zone today and I’ve only been at it two hours. So that’s to be honest with you. So …

    Beckman: This is, this is so wrong if the godd— state’s got extra money, then they should send it up here so that we can spend it on cotton-picking burglary task forces. Which we never solve and which affect more of my people than anything. Not seat belts. Not traffic stops. I mean, come on. That’s good for them to be able to announce, you know, get a good PR article in the newspaper about what Governor Mitch is doing. But, eh, go back into (unintelligible). Pull some more over. But …

    Officer Baker: Uh …

    Beckman: For whatever value it is, and I know it’s of no value ’cause I’m a gray-haired old man on the verge of retirement, but the county prosecutor thinks this is f—ing stupid. Who is the commander of traffic now?

    Officer Baker: Sergeant Jeff Loniewski.

    Beckman: I don’t think I know him. See, I’m so old I don’t even think I know that name.

    Officer Baker: I’m go …

    Beckman: Well, you can tell him that the prosecutor of the county thinks that running that kind, this kind of a traffic, you know, pull-over crap when people are coming home from work on a Wednesday night on Pahs Road is stupid.

    Officer Baker: OK.

    Beckman: Well, at least you didn’t pull me over. But I don’t think I was speeding … but I don’t normally speed.

    Officer Baker: All right, have a good night.

    Beckman: You be careful. Don’t let anybody shoot you.

    Posted in: Election info

    permanent link add a comment