Editor's note: An earlier version of this article contained an error. It will be updated.
This story was updated at 1:15 p.m. Oct. 20.
EVANSVILLE — The Courier & Press asked candidates for Evansville City Council to share their responses to questions about some of the issues on local residents' minds.
Six seats are open on the nine-member council in the Nov. 7 general election. This includes First Ward, Second Ward, Third Ward and three At-Large seats.
Because there are 12 candidates competing to fill these positions, the candidates were asked to keep replies to 200 words or less. The Courier & Press also gave the uncontested councilors seeking reelection the opportunity to answer. Individual wards will appear as separate stories, as will the unopposed races.
At-Large candidates responses are included unless they did not respond. Responses are edited for structure and spelling only.
Running for the seats are Democrats Mary Allen, Paul Green and Courtney Johnson and Republicans Ed Bassemier, incumbent Ron Beane and incumbent Jonathan Weaver.
More:We asked At-Large city council candidates: How will you support city parks?
Do you feel there is an issue with crime in your ward? If so, what do you see as the most serious concerns?
Mary Allen: "As a candidate for an At-Large position, I’ll answer this question with the city as a whole in mind. Public safety issues are one of the consistent concerns voiced while speaking with neighbors at events, listening sessions, and while knocking on doors. The concerns raised vary in each neighborhood, but underlying causes include drug-related activities and concern regarding the behavior (and care) of the mentally ill. Theft and violence seem to rise to the top–both of which are often drug related."
Ed Bassemier: "Running for City Councilman at Large, I have concerns for all wards. With a crime rate forty four per one thousand residents. Evansville has one of the highest crime rates in America to all communities in all sizes. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violence or property crime is one in twenty three."
Ron Beane: "The most serious crime related concern I have is the ease of availability of firearms for our youth. I support the development of initiatives that will address this problem and help reduce the prevalence of guns in the hands of Evansville’s youth."
Paul Green: "I think there is an issue with crime in any community. Evansville, unfortunately, is no different. There are many concerns when it comes to crime, but I think the most serious is anything that involves loss of life."
Jonathan Weaver: "We hired the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) to help us reduce violence and increase trust between law enforcement and the public. Though, the reports of shootings appear to have gone down, the general feeling I hear is the public feels that Evansville is not a safe place. The research done by NNSC has shown us that a very small percentage of the population is involved with a majority of the violent crime. NNSC has been able to identify and be a liaison between EPD and this small group of people, and steer them toward education, employment and just a better way of life."
What role do you believe a city councilor plays in crime prevention and response?
Mary Allen: "I believe we need to advocate for our officers to ensure they are fairly compensated and have the proper equipment, resources, and training to effectively do their job. Additionally, city councilors must be attentive to the concerns of their residents and police officers regarding what they see in our community.We also need to work to help mitigate many underlying causes of crime. We must work to reduce poverty, improve access to mental health care and addiction resources, work to remove blight, and work closely with our neighborhood associations and community nonprofits."
Ed Bassemier: "The police are no longer viewed as the sole protector of the community as local government are expected to mitigate crime and instill preventative safety protocols throughout the community."
Ron Beane: "City Council is responsible for funding the police department and seeing that it receives sufficient training and has sufficient resources to prevent and address crime in the community."
Paul Green: "I think we should be proactive in supporting a budget that allows for adequate pay to retain officers and also supply them with the equipment necessary to do their jobs."
Jonathan Weaver: "To fund the department appropriately. Back in 2016, a couple of us put it out there that public safety needs more, so we proposed the Public Safety Income Tax. The city administration opposed us, but we were ultimately able to get it passed, and it adds about $6 million to the budget every year."
Do you believe local law enforcement has a good relationship with the community in your ward?
Mary Allen: "Yes. Overall I think our EPD does a great job with their community policing initiatives. I appreciate their Walking Wednesdays, monthly Coffee with a Cop, Cops Connecting with Kids, their attendance at neighborhood association meetings, and their presence in our schools. I attended the Spring 2023 Citizens Academy, which is a wonderful initiative that aims to educate the public on the various units of the police department. It cultivates a better understanding and communication between citizens and the police."
Ed Bassemier: "Yes, I do. The police hosts special events for neighborhoods. Cook out with cops, having coffee with police officers, one neighborhood park police passed out stickers and bears to kids. Christmas time give out presents to kids. Also neighborhood appreciate community policing."
Ron Beane: "Yes, but there is always room for improvement. Law enforcement has several community engagement initiatives such as Coffee With the Cops and the placement of CPOs within neighborhood associations. Programs like these create open lines of communication which in turn helps law enforcement better meet community needs."
Paul Green: "It has been my experience in my travels during this campaign, that the police are making a valiant effort to have a good relationship with the community."
Jonathan Weaver: "Yes indeed. The police administration has done an excellent job getting out there with monthly Coffee with a Cop, the weekly summer neighborhood walks, the Disney trips and other outreach, such as NNSC as mentioned above."
Are Evansville police officers paid appropriately? If not, would you support raises across the department if elected to city council?
Mary Allen: "No. Our police officers are not being compensated appropriately especially when we compare them to other cities of similar size and activity. Overall, I would support measures in the direction of an increase. Budgets are challenging, but I do believe this is a priority. While being intentional in looking for possible revenue streams, we also need to see if there are areas in which we can cut spending without removing necessary resources."
Ed Bassemier: "The police officers of Evansville are not paid appropriately . I would definitely support pay increases across the department if l'm elected. Evansville Police Department having a hard time recruiting new officers because of the pay and risks of the job."
Ron Beane: "Rank and file police pay is negotiated between city administration and the FOP. Neither group has asked for intervention from me and until they do, I would let them work through their process."
Paul Green: "I don’t believe officers are paid adequately. They are paid much less than their county counterparts, and that creates a situation where it is difficult to keep enough officers in the city police department. I would support wage increases for our city police officers."
Jonathan Weaver: "Not for our size of a city, and this has been a sticking point for a number of years. The current contract expires December 31. It is my goal that the next Mayor appropriately fund raises comparable to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department."
If elected, would you speak publicly in the situation of police killing a community member during an arrest or other interaction?
Mary Allen: "Yes. However, I would not speak on the subject until all the details were available. While I believe we need to hold our police force accountable, I also believe we need to protect and support our officers, who are serving and protecting our community. Whether it is praise for our police or calls for accountability, I will use my voice to be an advocate for those in our community. Transparency is important to me and I believe this is the best policy in these situations."
Ed Bassemier: "It is hard to answer this question without knowing the facts."
Ron Beane: "I will never hesitate to speak out on matters of public concern. Accountability is essential. I will not, however, politicize a public tragedy. It’s important to ensure that investigations are carried out in a proper and timely manner."
Paul Green: "I have no issue with speaking publicly about something as long as I have all the facts."
Jonathan Weaver: "This is why EPD has a public information officer. She is best to speak on what happened because of the department’s post interaction with the officer, the access to the body cam footage and the 911 call, and their better understanding of the law and situation."
Is the Evansville Police Department equipped to respond to mental health or substance abuse crises?
Mary Allen: "I believe our department is being as proactive as possible in their training to deal with mental health and addiction challenges as almost half of the officers have been trained in crisis intervention. We have a dedicated Mental Health and Homeless Liaison Officer. I am also grateful for the plans for a dedicated unit at our jail. As positive as all this is, I do believe we need more resources and even more officers trained. However, we cannot expect our officers to be mental health experts. We need additional resources and partnerships and I will continue to champion these causes."
Ed Bassemier: "Crime intervention team officers receive forty hours of training in dealing with persons who are mentally ill and in need of assistance. Officers trained for this assignment are from the patrol division , school liaison and crisis negotiators."
Ron Beane: "We are just scratching the surface in terms of addressing mental health and substance abuse concerns in Evansville. Police officers’ front line efforts need to be supported by additional resources and services outside the police organization."
Paul Green: "Mental health issues are one of my biggest concerns. In many cases, it leads to crime, drug abuse and homelessness. I think there is an effort to address this across the city and county. I don’t believe we are there yet, but we are moving in the right direction. I think the section of the new jail to address persons suffering from mental health issues is a step in the right direction."
Jonathan Weaver: "Yes, it is my understanding that because of the department’s training, it tends to be a stepping stone for surrounding departments."
