Sheriff David
Reynolds told the Porter County Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that
his department is looking to develop a free app for mobile devices that can
send alerts to residents about road closures, tornado warnings, and school
closings.
Upgrades are also
planned for the Sheriff’s Police website and there will be more emphasis on
utilizing social media like Facebook and Twitter, Reynolds said.
The community app
will be free, paid for by funds collected from the jail’s commissary at
roughly $3,500 per month. Reynolds’ hope is that, with sponsorships from
advertisers, the app could pay for itself.
Other features will
include being able to see the names and mug shots of inmates at the County
Jail, Reynolds said, and media outlets would be able to get information more
quickly, which made Commissioner President John Evans, R-North, wonder if
there would be privacy issues.
“People see
(inmates’) pictures in the paper every day,” Reynolds said.
Evans suggested
that Reynolds use the application to advertise the County’s Smart 911
program. “It’s free and it could save a life,” he said.
On a related note,
the Commissioners approved paying what will be the last installment for the
County’s digital phone system for the jail and Sheriff’s Department with
$250,000 in county economic development income tax dollars. Another $50,000,
from CCD funds, was approved for ongoing maintenance for phones throughout
county government.
County ITS Director
Sharon Lippens said the county has saved approximately $200,000 annually
since the new phone system was installed about five years ago.
Also, a contract
with Trout Glass and Mirror in Chesterton was approved by the Commissioners
3-0 to repair windows that inmates have broken over time at Porter County
Jail.
Reynolds said that
inmates will be charged for damage they cause from now on. “We will hold
those people responsible for getting them fixed,” he said.
Tourism Report
County Tourism
Bureau Director Lorelei Weimer presented the Commissioners with a “State of
Indiana Dunes Tourism.” Visitor numbers have increased thanks to marketing
efforts such as the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, online videos and the
3-Dune Challenge. A record number of people are using the tourism bureau’s
website to plan their stays and look for hotel information, she said.
The bureau also
earned reaccreditation with the renowned tourism development firm
Destination Marketing Association International, meaning its strategic
planning model can serve as an example for others in the industry, Weimer
said.
Weimer included in
her presentation plans for $1.5 million in renovations to the Indiana Dunes
Visitor Center, which the bureau shares with the National Parks Service. The
biggest portion of the work will be transforming space in the theater room,
she said.
Weimer said the
current exhibit area will become a community room, highlighting the
different spots of Porter County.
Aboard the Sunrise
Express
Before adjourning,
Evans gave a shout out to the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation
District for adding a new six-train express to the South Shore Line.
The “Sunrise
Express” makes a limited number of stops on its way from South Bend to
Chicago each morning and is said to get from Dunes State Park Station to
Chicago’s Millennium Park Station in one hour.
“Yesterday it made
the trip in 59 minutes. I know because I rode it. It was great,” said Evans,
who sits on the NICTD Board of Directors.
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