Search for vandals who targeted police officers in Whitestown continues

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By Heather Collins

The investigation into who vandalized the vehicles and homes of police officers from four departments continues as the Whitestown Town Council is seeking tougher penalties for these types of crimes.

On Feb. 2, vandals targeted police vehicles from the Whitestown, Westfield, Speedway and Lebanon police departments as they were parked at the officers’ homes in Walker Farms and Harvest Park neighborhoods in Whitestown. They broke a window, left vulgar messages and slashed tires, in some cases with the family at home.

“When you target the police department in a community, you’re not just lashing out at just the police department, you’re actually targeting the fiber of the community itself,” Whitestown Police Chief Dennis Anderson said.

The Whitestown Town Council unanimously passed a resolution Feb. 8 urging state lawmakers to support Senate Bill 10 and House Bill 1297, which seek to make battery and criminal recklessness against a public safety officer or an officer’s relative a felony.

Many community members have provided investigators with video-surveillance and images from their home security cameras, Anderson said.

“I’m pretty confident between the public’s help and our investigators that we’ll be able to make an arrest. They’re coming out in overwhelming support of law enforcement,” Anderson said. “That’s why I truly believe there will be an end to this particular case. The community is not going to tolerate this type of behavior or activity.”

WPD is asking the public to assist the investigation by providing information, video camera footage or images captured Feb. 2 in the affected neighborhoods. Anyone with information can contact WPD Lt. Scott Rolston at 317-732-4547.

Anderson said community members can also show support for local police through the Blue Light Campaign by switching out a regular porch or garage light bulb with a blue one.


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