Fishers PD - Any Members Here?

[Tripp11]

If any INGO members are also Fishers PD officers, would one of you PM me please? I have a neighborhood trespassing issue which I would like to run by you and see how we should handle - whether calling 911 or non-emergency or handling in a different manner. Our neighbors who are impacted do not want to be a burden on your resources.

Thanks!

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

There were 2 FPD guys on here, but both have disappeared.

 

[Tripp11]

There were 2 FPD guys on here, but both have disappeared.

Thanks, Frank. Stay safe.

 

[Kutnupe14]

If the, trespassing is a person, and not a Canadian Goose, you won't be a bother. Call them up. At the very least, you can have an officer call you back to discuss a remedy.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

If you have a question I might be able to head you in the right direction.

 

[Tripp11]

Our home backs up to a neighborhood retention pond, and per our plat plan and per an attorney opinion letter (from the HOA attorney), we own all the way down to the water. Every year we've had groups of unsupervised teens fishing around the entire pond and sporadically leaving behind trash, dead fish (because their parents haven't taught them either how to unhook a fish or that a fish can't live outside of water for prolonged periods of time), string and hooks (a pet was hooked in the paw two years ago).

In years past, we politely tell them they are on private property and need to move along, and they did - for the most part. This year, this group just laughs at us and our neighbors and just comes back time after time.

We've verbally trespassed them, but they continue coming back. Just hate to call Fishers PD every time this happens, but I guess that's the only solution.

Many, many, many years ago if an adult would have told me I was trespassing and never to come back (and explained it like we've explained it), I would have never shown my face again in that area. If my folks would have caught wind of it, my dad would have marched my butt down to the homeowner's front door and I would have had to apologize in person and would have had to offer my "manual labor" services and cleaned up every single scrap, weed, twig from the property.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Our home backs up to a neighborhood retention pond, and per our plat plan and per an attorney opinion letter (from the HOA attorney), we own all the way down to the water. Every year we've had groups of unsupervised teens fishing around the entire pond and sporadically leaving behind trash, dead fish (because their parents haven't taught them either how to unhook a fish or that a fish can't live outside of water for prolonged periods of time), string and hooks (a pet was hooked in the paw two years ago).

In years past, we politely tell them they are on private property and need to move along, and they did - for the most part. This year, this group just laughs at us and our neighbors and just comes back time after time.

We've verbally trespassed them, but they continue coming back. Just hate to call Fishers PD every time this happens, but I guess that's the only solution.

Many, many, many years ago if an adult would have told me I was trespassing and never to come back (and explained it like we've explained it), I would have never shown my face again in that area. If my folks would have caught wind of it, my dad would have marched my butt down to the homeowner's front door and I would have had to apologize in person and would have had to offer my "manual labor" services and cleaned up every single scrap, weed, twig from the property.

Have you ever had FPD respond and run them off?

 

[Tripp11]

Have you ever had FPD respond and run them off?

Not in years past, as our verbal directives were adhered to. This last month, it's been different. My neighbors and I were waiting to involve Fishers PD because we were waiting on the HOA and Board of Directors to make some sort of decision - as fishing is not allowed per the covenants - but we didn't want to stop families from having family time in common areas and fishing from those areas. Now that the HOA and attorney have weighed in and they are going to allow fishing and they confirmed we own all the way to the water, now we need to start calling and having FPD contact these kids.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Not in years past, as our verbal directives were adhered to. This last month, it's been different. My neighbors and I were waiting to involve Fishers PD because we were waiting on the HOA and Board of Directors to make some sort of decision - as fishing is not allowed per the covenants - but we didn't want to stop families from having family time in common areas and fishing from those areas. Now that the HOA and attorney have weighed in and they are going to allow fishing and they confirmed we own all the way to the water, now we need to start calling and having FPD contact these kids.

Best bet, have the HOA write a letter to the patrol division commander, asking that when residents call in, that the offenders be identified and trespassed. Indicate it's an ongoing, yearly problem. Then encourage your neighbors to call in on sketchy people. I'm betting that will do the trick.
Things work a lil differently up here, so don't fret calling FPD.

 

[Brandon]

Kind of the same issue we had here in the few years past. Neighborhood behind us and all the kids want to cut through our yard and our neighbors to get to the main street easier/quicker. They were getting to the point they would walk about 5 feet from our deck - close enough to see in our windows. (Our yard is 2 acres/ house in middle, 300-350 feet from house to either end of the front/back yard)

Our fix was to build a fence, easier without a pond in the way and it allows our dogs to run around. The kids cutting through would fly us the bird or other gestures when we told them not to cut through the yard/so close to the house.

 

[Denny347]

I general, for trespass to be enforceable, the owner of the property that they are on (or their designee) has to trespass the kids and the officer generally should witness it. Then the officer needs to document it for future enforcement. This must be done for EACH separate property they trespass on to fish. If they are in a HOA common area then there needs to be a representative that speaks for the HOA to trespass them. It's really quite the PITA to get this done to where someone can be arrested for it.

 

[lrahm]

Evansville PD here. Almost 40 years ... I'm tired.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I general, for trespass to be enforceable, the owner of the property that they are on (or their designee) has to trespass the kids and the officer generally should witness it. Then the officer needs to document it for future enforcement. This must be done for EACH separate property they trespass on to fish. If they are in a HOA common area then there needs to be a representative that speaks for the HOA to trespass them. It's really quite the PITA to get this done to where someone can be arrested for it.

Not in Hamilton County. For some reason, even after it's made abundantly clear "if you come back, you'll be arrested," people still show up.
I'm sure you're clear Denny, that in Hamilton County things rarely pop off like in Indy. Issuing a trespass warning is very, very common. And up here, "unauthorized fishing" in a community pond common as well. We simply identify the person, have a proxy show up (and they ALWAYS do) and have them verbally tell the person not to come back. We then issue them a written warning and send them on their way. They are then kept in in-house (actually on dispatch screens for a particular property), so if we are ever called out that way again, and find someone who shouldn't be there, they'll end up with a court date.
It's routine. Businesses are so aware of the practice, that when they fire an employee, they will call us, and have them trespassed from the get. And don't even get me started on the Carmel Dad's Club, who if you so much as spit on their fields they want heads.

I'm telling you, it's a different world. I'd invite you to come take a ride-a-long, but I don't want to bore you to tears, or see you roll your eyes, and say "seriously?" a million times.

Let me put it to you this way.... how many calls in you career have you been to where the 10-17's complaint is that "kids are throwing rocks and sticks at a tree".... on the kid's own property?

 

[Denny347]

Not in Hamilton County. For some reason, even after it's made abundantly clear "if you come back, you'll be arrested," people still show up.
I'm sure you're clear Denny, that in Hamilton County things rarely pop off like in Indy. Issuing a trespass warning is very, very common. And up here, "unauthorized fishing" in a community pond common as well. We simply identify the person, have a proxy show up (and they ALWAYS do) and have them verbally tell the person not to come back. We then issue them a written warning and send them on their way. They are then kept in in-house (actually on dispatch screens for a particular property), so if we are ever called out that way again, and find someone who shouldn't be there, they'll end up with a court date.
It's routine. Businesses are so aware of the practice, that when they fire an employee, they will call us, and have them trespassed from the get. And don't even get me started on the Carmel Dad's Club, who if you so much as spit on their fields they want heads.

I'm telling you, it's a different world. I'd invite you to come take a ride-a-long, but I don't want to bore you to tears, or see you roll your eyes, and say "seriously?" a million times.

Let me put it to you this way.... how many calls in you career have you been to where the 10-17's complaint is that "kids are throwing rocks and sticks at a tree".... on the kid's own property?

Ha- indeed a different world. I'd get complained on I'm sure.

 

[Tripp11]

If people would just respect other people's property rights, this wouldn't be an issue. Growing up in a rural county in Indiana, it seems as if the trespassing was mainly in remote areas where adults or kids would hunt on your property without the owner's knowledge because the large size of the parcel.

Now, we've got kids (and some adults) fishing and loitering 20-50' up in our backyards - knowing damn well it's not their property. I just can't comprehend this mentality, but maybe it's because I was raised differently.

Thanks for everyone's contributions. Appreciate it.

 

[Opie]

Yep, this response will vary between jurisdictions. For my city you need to have an officer witness the owner tell the person trespassing to leave. If the person does not leave, or returns to the property we have a couple of options from a ticket up to an arrest. I have been off the streets for a few years but I think the 2nd time is a felony. I do know the 1st trespass had to be a conviction to bump it to the felony. If someone trespassed 3 days in a row they would all be misdemeanors since nothing going to court around here in less than 6 weeks.

Some cities may have local laws that may differ but that's how state law read a few years ago.

I would call 911 and have the officer witness you asking them not to come back. He should document that and if it happens again he will have options. It will help everyone if you are polite in asking them to leave, no reason to make a trespass into a bigger deal if you can help it. I know its frustrating, my family has some land and we have had everything from a nice father taking his kid on a walk in the woods all the way up to camping with a one-pot meth lab out there. If it were just the dad/kid no one would care but we ended up posting no trespass signs and calling in on people nowadays.

 

[wtburnette]

If people would just respect other people's property rights, this wouldn't be an issue. Growing up in a rural county in Indiana, it seems as if the trespassing was mainly in remote areas where adults or kids would hunt on your property without the owner's knowledge because the large size of the parcel.

Now, we've got kids (and some adults) fishing and loitering 20-50' up in our backyards - knowing damn well it's not their property. I just can't comprehend this mentality, but maybe it's because I was raised differently.

Thanks for everyone's contributions. Appreciate it.

People are generally more inconsiderate now than in previous generations, is my theory. That and people are *******s.

 

[looney2ns]

Be aware in today's litigate everything society, if that trespassing fisherman falls in the pond and drowns. You will probably be sued.