Vote on Hammond gas station curfew on hold
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The Hammond City Council is waiting to hold a final vote on a proposal to close all gas stations in the city overnight. Our partners at Lakeshore Public Radio report council members want to review additional crime statistics before making a decision.
The council proposed the ordinance earlier this month following a June homicide that took place around 2 a.m. at a Hammond gas station.
If approved, most of the 37 gas stations within the city limits would be forced to close from midnight to 5 a.m., though they could apply for an exception from Hammond Board of Public Works & Safety.
Phil Taillon, chief of staff for Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, said while the city understands the ordinance could have an affect on business owners, the issue of crime at gas stations is one that the businesses haven’t addressed for years.
“Things have been going on for a very long time, and they have not addressed it. They have not tried,” Taillon told the council on Monday. “We’ve sat back and haven’t done anything, haven’t put any ordinances forward or tried to change some rules to make it more safe. They certainly aren’t doing anything.”
Councilor Katrina Alexander said a blanket ordinance should be a last resort. She said other measures, such as encouraging gas stations to hire overnight security guards and making their surveillance camera feeds available to police, should be tried first.
Other councilors suggested having discussions with gas station owners before making a decision, according to Lakeshore Public Radio.
A time frame for the council to make its final vote was not given.