Gary council funds code enforcement upgrades; officers report increased citations and new vehicles
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Summary
Council approved a budget amendment backing mobile equipment, vehicles and office technology for code enforcement. Staff presented enforcement numbers, said morale has improved and noted new city vehicles and planned mobile-capable computers.
The Gary Common Council on June 17 approved CPO 2025-26, a budget item supporting code enforcement operations, and heard a staff presentation describing equipment purchases, staffing and enforcement activity.
Pastor Edwards, presenting the budget overview for code enforcement, said the funds will support mobile computing in cars, reliable vehicles and office equipment so officers can complete citations and inspections from the field.
Why it matters: council members said improved technology and dependable vehicles will let code officers complete investigations on site, reduce administrative return trips and improve public responsiveness.
Officer Sade Johnson Warren, a code enforcement officer, told the council the department had written "1,034" citations so far this year, compared with "1,543" citations recorded for the prior calendar year. She described new tactical training and said the department used recently acquired city vehicles to improve field operations.
Officer Paul Brock and other staff described improved morale under the current administration and a sweeping "16-week cleanup" initiative now underway. Deputy Director Robert Brinson Jr., Officer Robert Dodson, night-shift supervisor Keith Duddy and others introduced themselves to the council and said they are focused on district-level enforcement.
The supplemental portion of the budget includes a payback for a 108 loan and funds for producing the annual CAPER report required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the presenters said. After discussion the council voted 8-0 to remove the ordinance from the table and pass it on final reading.
What's next: city staff said they will deploy the funded vehicles and equipment and complete HUD reporting tasks; staff will also monitor the cleanup initiative and enforcement outcomes.